


Thinning the Herd

by UselessLilium (o0whitelily0o)



Series: Following the shepherd [2]
Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, POV Second Person, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-28 22:02:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 121,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6347350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o0whitelily0o/pseuds/UselessLilium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Role swap AU, sequel to Balance Point: After an eternity, Abel has finally arranged a way for Cain to escape from his punishment. And Naoya has seven days of facing demons, angels, and humanity at its most desperate to decide if he even wants it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Day Before, part 1

**Author's Note:**

> For a long time, I really didn't know if I could continue this AU. The idea of tackling the entire Lockdown was pretty intimidating, and I spent so much time worrying about it, it felt impossible. But after seeing people still reading and commenting and leaving kudos on 'Balance Point' these last almost-6 months, I wound up deciding to at least try! So thank you all for the support, and let's see how far I can get with this.
> 
> (Also, though I do intend to update the tags as I go, as a general rule there won't be any content that you wouldn't expect to see in the game. So basically, violence and death can be expected, but little romantic/sexual content aside from crushes.)

Even before you left the house, you were already starting a list of why going out today was a bad idea. The heat, obviously, was at the top of it. People invented things like fans and air conditioning to avoid temperatures like this, it was spitting in the face of progress to go out anyway.

Besides, you think as you tug at the bag strap over your shoulder, you sunburn way too easily. You should never have agreed to meet them outside the station instead of inside literally _any_ of the stores or cafes around here. If you knew Loki and Amane were going to take so long, you’d have brought a hat. At least your jacket was covering your arms, even if you had to settle for draping it over your shoulders instead of wearing properly. Yet another reason heat was the worst.

Kazuya’s suspiciously vague text, though, was easily number two. You just know he has some kind of annoying, out-of-the-way errand that he’s gonna push onto the three of you. Or, more likely, Amane and Loki were just collateral damage, a way of making sure you got out and agreed to do whatever it is he needs. You sigh. Kazuya makes everything so much more complicated than it has to be. Maybe you’re not really in a position to criticize, but if he just _asked_ you for help like a normal person-

A snicker bursts out behind you. A little too loud, a little too pointed. You stiffen and keep your eyes fixed firmly ahead. Right. ‘People’. Now there was a good contender for third. The crowds are oppressive in their size and certainly aren’t helping at all with the temperature problem. It’s starting to make you feel a little sick, if you’re honest. You tighten your grip on your bag strap, and try not to look at anyone.

...Seriously, what was taking those two so long?

“Naoya!”

There’s no time to react to Loki’s greeting before you suddenly have his arm around your shoulder and his grin in your face. You grimace. “Do you mind? It’s too hot for this.”

“Nah, I don’t mind at all,” Loki said, his grin growing to a truly insufferable size. “Any sign of Amane yet?”

Another day you may have argued and shoved him off, but whatever. Lately it just doesn’t feel worth the trouble. You let it drop, and look back out at the crowds milling along the sidewalks. “No. Haven’t heard anything from her either.”

Loki hums a bit, sounding curious. “Guess we’ll just have to give her an earful for making us wait~”

You raise an eyebrow at him. “You were late too.”

“Yeah, but you both expect that by now. Doesn’t count.”

His logic never ceases to amaze. You start to retort, but at last catch sight of your other friend. As usual, she was hard to miss, moving through the herd of people like they didn’t even exist. No small feat, given they all nearly towered over her. Definitely a talent. You give a quick wave to catch her attention, but it’s made pointless quickly by Loki calling over, “Hey, what took you?”

“My apologies,” she said, a hesitant look on her face as she approached the two of you, “Actually, I ran into Kazuya on my way here.”

“Huh?” Loki pouted. “And he didn’t come with you?”

She shook her head. “He told me that something came up suddenly and he wasn’t going to be able to make it.”

What.

No, seriously, _what_ ? You want nothing more than to sink into the ground from pure aggravation, but settle for a longest groan you can muster. After coming all this way - he couldn’t even be bothered to _text_ any of you about this? No, he just _had_ to make Amane play messenger. What a _prick_. No matter what kind of excuse he tries to give, next time you see him you’re gonna chew his ear off until he apologizes.

Before you can finish expressing your frustration, Amane interrupts, holding up a plastic bag, “Also, he gave me these. He said they were for the three of us?” She opens it up and - oh. Huh. Wow, three COMPs? You pick one out and gave it a quick look-over. Seems to be in decent condition. A recent model, too. As you inspect it, she asks, “These are communication players, right? Aren’t they video games?”

You nod. “Partially. COMPs can play games, but they also have a messaging system and can access the internet.”

“That’s what I thought - it always seemed a bit redundant to have one of these and a phone to me.”

“Huh, what gives?” Loki said, his COMP already flipped open and turned on, “The menu’s really weird looking. You ever see one like it?”

You look over his shoulder at a red and black menu screen, almost all the usual programs blanked out. With a frown, you turn on your own. It’s perfectly identical.

Loki leans against you, glancing between the two screens. “You think Kazuya did this himself? He did mention doing some programming a while ago... these could be prototypes or something.”

You have to snort at that. “No way. That’s just some story he came up with to keep my parents from bugging him about work. I bet you anything he bought these cheap off someone who screwed with the code as a prank. He probably wouldn’t have even recognized this as weird.”

“Hm...” Loki looks up at you, blinking his eyes in a way you assume was supposed to be endearing. “So you can fix them, right? This is totally your thing!”

“Well... yeah, probably.” No point in false modesty - you did learn from the best, after all. You spot an empty bench nearby and sit down, pulling out your laptop and hooking it up to the COMP.

“You don’t have to do this now,” Amane says, slipping her own COMP into her pocket, “We can go back to your house first, or find somewhere inside to do it...”

Loki leans forward over the back of the bench to watch. “Aww, c’mon, it’s kind of interesting, isn’t it? Someone went to a lot of trouble to make this difficult, there’s gotta be a reason for it!”

“He’s right, I’d rather find out as soon as possible. If there’s something really bad on them, I’d rather get them back to Kazuya than just leave ‘em lying around my room.” Your mom insisted she didn’t snoop, but even if you believed her completely, three new and fairly expensive game consoles were bound to catch her eye no matter what. “I mean, I could hide them, but there’s still a risk.”

“No, you have a point,” Amane sighed.

Besides, the first encryption takes only a couple of minutes to crack. As expected. You grin a bit. “Alright, got the e-mail taken care of. Hand me both of your’s, I’ll get them all opened in no time.”

Almost as soon as you’ve made good on your word, though, the COMPs start to ping. You don’t bother to stop and look, but you hear Amane say, “‘Laplace Mail’... is that some kind of game?”

Loki answers before you even have a chance to pause. “Not one I’ve ever heard of - ‘at 16:00, a man will be killed in his apartment in Aoyama’..” That gets your attention. You finally pull away from the code to see for yourself.

An e-mail from ‘the Observer’? You skim through the contents - a murder, an explosion, and a blackout, all apparently scheduled for later today. “Maybe it’s some kind of puzzle or alternate reality game? Like they use to advertise underground movies sometimes.”

“Or!” Loki practically shoves his face into your’s. “I’ve read a bunch of ghost stories online about people buying used games at garage sales or online auctions! Maybe we’ve got ourselves three haunted gaming systems foretelling our doom.”

“Awfully cheery for someone who just found out they’re doomed,” you say as you turn back to your laptop. “Anyway, there’s still a lot left to unlock on these things. It’ll probably take a while.” Especially since, though you hate to admit it, it’s looking like the first encryption was by far the easiest. “You two should go kill some time somewhere while I work.”

Amane tilts her head. “Are you sure? We don’t mind keeping you company.”

“I’m sure. It’ll be easier to concentrate on my own.”

“Alright,” she nods and looks over at Loki, “You mentioned something around here you wanted to show us, right? We can go see it while we wait.”

“Ah, right!” Loki finally quits hovering over your shoulder and steps over to Amane. “There’s this place up in Shinjuku, I hear it’s one of the scenes of those bloodless murders that’ve been going around.”  He keeps going on about how he found out about it and who the victim was rumored to be as he links his arm in her’s and starts leading her away, only pausing to wave back at you and give a quick “Later!” and Amane reminds you to text them as soon as you’re finished.

You mutter a quick agreement, but quickly get absorbed in your new project.

...

Or, well, you start off absorbed in it. Really, it’s a pretty impressive code. Whoever programmed it was definitely more skilled than you gave them credit for. You even think about e-mailing some screenshots of it to AT-LOW later, see if it’s anything he recognizes. But at you get closer and closer to solving it, you find your eyes moving back to the clock on your laptop. By the fifth or sixth glance, 16:00 has come and gone.

It’s stupid. There’s no reason to take that e-mail seriously. You know that. No one has to tell you. And you don’t for one second believe that any of those stories Loki’s read about haunted tech have a single of truth to them.

You know that. You know it, but you still can’t stop checking the time.

After all, even for Kazuya, to cancel so suddenly was pretty weird. Especially after being so insistent that all three of you show up. You try not to think about his apartment in Aoyama, but the harder you try the more persistent the thoughts become. His door forced in, his furniture  broken or overturned, and his body limp and covered in...

You slam your laptop shut. It’s no good. Your hands are shaking too hard to type. Nice job, letting something like an e-mail rattle you like this. Just how pathetic can you get?

But Aoyama isn’t too far from here. All you have to do is take a quick look at his apartment, and when you see everything’s fine, you’ll get right back to work. It’s fine, no one has to know. Amane and Loki won’t even notice if you take longer than your should.

You shove your laptop and COMP back into your bag, and start walking. When you hear the sirens and see the police cars speed off past you, pointed right towards Aoyama, it’s all you can do not to break into an outright run.

 

* * *

 

Police cars. There were police cars in front of Kazuya’s apartment. And warning tape. And a whole group of people clustered outside who weren’t being allowed in. You feel cold. Stuck. You have to ask someone what’s going on. Just assuming isn’t going to help, and standing here staring is making you look strange. No matter what, you have to find out _something_.

You’re just able to force yourself towards one of the officers, but before you can open your mouth to ask anything, you catch a glimpse of blue in the corner of your eye. You turn and finally see Kazuya, looking completely baffled.

“Naoya? What are you doing here?”

With the fear receding, aggravation is more than ready to step in. “What do you mean ‘what am I doing here’? Those stupid COMPs you gave us are all signed up to some creepy e-mail service! Did you even _check_ them for viruses or bugs before giving them to us?”

He blinks, clearly no less confused than before. “You got this worried over an e-mail?”

“ _Of course!_ ” You blurt out, “You suddenly cancel on us, and then we wind up all getting a warning about a murder _where you live_! How could that not make me worry? It was like-” You stop, suddenly noticing a few people looking over at you and your cousin and realizing how loud you’d been. Aware of how ridiculous you must sound, you quiet down and finish weakly, “It was like... ugh, I don’t know. You knew something was going to happen to you. Something like that.”

His expression softens then, and for a second you half-expect him to reach over and pat your head like you were six all of a sudden. Like you didn’t feel childish enough already. “Ah, I see. You’re right, I didn’t even consider you’d take it that way.” So then he did know about the Laplace Mail. But he gives you no room to ask about it, glancing up at the apartment building and continuing, “It was a high-school student who was killed. One of my neighbors, actually. Pretty brutal from what I’ve been told, but I’m sure you’ll hear more about it soon enough.” He looks back to you and smiles. “Well, you know I’m okay now, so you should really be getting back to Amane and Loki. It’s really not good to run off somewhere without letting them know first.”

You’re being brushed off. He’s not even trying to hide it, his words and smile are both as glib as they could possibly be. You try to push it, “So why couldn’t you come meet up with us today, then? You didn’t really say.”

The smile doesn’t even twitch. “I had to meet up with some people from work. I know it was sudden, but I’m afraid it really couldn’t wait.” His answers are always like that. Not lies, you don’t think, but still no meat to them. Nothing that really qualifies as information. Even if you asked about the e-mail, he’ll give you some other song and dance that won’t really tell you a single goddamn thing.

“Fine,” you say, dropping your eyes as you turn to go. “I get it, it was stupid of me to come. Sorry for bothering you.”

“Naoya...” He stops you, hand on your shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. It wasn’t stupid at all. Just-” He sighs. “It’s been a long day, and you caught me by surprise. That’s all.” You look back at him, really look. He does look exhausted - he doesn’t sleep enough, you’ve known that for ages, but he can usually hide it better. The bags under his eyes have gotten pretty heavy, and his face is looking a little gaunt. That he _still_ manages to look good in spite of that might be irritating, if you weren’t worried.

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t have snapped either.” And he is right, you have to admit. You’ve gotta get back to work on the COMPs. “But you better tell me more later, got it?”

He smiles again and says, “Okay, promise.”

It’s too light a response to really be satisfying. What you want him to promise is that he’s okay, that he’d tell you if something were really wrong. But you don’t have time to push it right now, so you’ll have to take it.

You look back once as you leave, but by the time you do he’s already gone.

 

* * *

 

It’s another half hour before you finally meet back up with Loki and Amane in front of the Electric Museum. Figures, of course you’d need all three COMPs together to finish cracking the encryption. Of all the obvious tricks to throw you off...

But your internal complaining comes to a halt when you see the two of them. Amane especially looks distracted and too quiet, but even Loki seems a little awkward. He brightens a bit when he sees you, and says, “Hey Naoya, where’ve you been? You’ll never guess who we-”

“Don’t,” Amane interrupts, which Loki, to his credit, actually does. “I’d rather not talk about it right now.”

You look between the two of them. “Did something happen?”

She sighs, and won’t quite meet your eyes. “Not exactly, just... later, alright?”

For a moment you can’t help but want to ask if everyone’s planning on not telling you things today. But just a moment - after all, it has to be something pretty serious for Amane to be acting like this. You get the feeling you’re not the only one who ran into family today. “Alright. Well, Loki, you may be right about the hauntings. Turns out someone actually did die in an Aoyama apartment, right on time.”

“Whoa, seriously?” Loki grinned, “Ha, that’s so cool!”

You stare at him. “You do realize that means a guy was _killed_ , right?”

“Well, sure, that’s too bad and all, but c’mon, it means the prediction was right!” He says, pulling his COMP out and not sounding like anything is too bad in the least, “If these things can tell the future, that’s a way bigger deal. So what else are they hiding?”

Guess that’s about the reaction you expected from him. You sigh and open up your own. “It looks like these three specifically are always monitoring each other, and will only unlock when they’ve synchronized. Amane?”

She must have been more distracted than you thought, because she jumps at the sound of her name. “Ah, yes, sorry. I’ll turn mine on too.” No question about it, you think as she flips her device open. Something must have happened with her dad. Maybe you’ll take the train back with her part of the way, she might want to talk then.

But as the COMPs boot up, you catch another flicker of blue and black nearby. You look away from the screen for a moment, and there he is again. Your cousin, standing on an empty sidewalk across the street. He waves, and you see he’s saying something. There’s no way to hear, of course, but it looks like- good luck?

The screen on your COMP flashes, and when you look down at it lines and lines of code rush across the screen, only interrupted by windows that open and close automatically, in barely enough time for the words to register.

**[Decryption confirmed.**

**DEMON SUMMONING PROGRAM ready to boot.]**

 

**[Booting DEMON SUMMONING PROGRAM]**

 

**[Peaceful days died.**

**Let’s survive_]**

And then the words disappear altogether, drowned out by a blinding light that forces your eyes shut.

The next thing you know, some kind of blow knocks the wind out of you, knocking you to the ground. You gasp as your eyes shoot open and you see before you some kind of wolf, standing on its hind legs, wielding a club.

Across from you, you hear Loki laugh, too loud and high to be natural. You see Amane, a kind of grim certainty in her eyes. A monster - no, demon, that’s what the program said, didn’t it? - stands in front of each of you, but you only get a glimpse before the wolf steps towards you, its club dragging on the ground.

“ _Human._ ” The wolf - your wolf, you summoned it somehow, you brought it here - crouches, yet still towers over you. “ _Me surprised. Such a scrawny body, should be crushed._ ” It starts to reach out towards you, pressing a single claw into your stomach. “ _Tougher than look. Good._ ” It grins, and you’re close enough now you can see it starting to drool. “ _More fun._ ”

And that breaks your paralysis. Without even thinking, you rear a leg back and kick at it with all the strength you can muster.

The demon yowls in surprise and pain, and leaps back from you, clutching its chest where you hit it.

You grab the COMP that fell out of your hand. There’s no time to wonder about how it’s working, how someone like you could do any kind of damage at all to something like that. You just have to use it. “Amane, Loki!” you call out as you make yourself stand, refusing to take your eyes off your demon for a second, “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Amane calls back right away, though it sounds strained.

“Hell of a day this turned into, huh?” Loki says, and if he can make jokes, he’s fine.

Alright, you think as the wolf - Kobold, you notice, that’s the name on your COMP’s screen - snorts and starts to raises itself back up to full height. You’ll just have to trust them to deal with whatever they summoned. And you’ll take care of your own responsibility. Answers and understanding can only come after, and you’re not letting this thing keep you from them.


	2. The Day Before, part 2

The demon that came out of your COMP is easy to identify right on sight. A Pixie, small and too fast. It darts around you, cackling wildly and unleashing bolts of lightning that force you to keep moving, driving you away from your two friends.

“ _Hurry up, hurry up~_ ” It chants, “ _If you’re not going to fight, then just hurry up and die~ I’m going to be free!_ ”

You try to swat at it, but there’s so little you, with your complete lack of fighting ability, can do to it like this. You’re just barely avoiding the attacks, let alone countering them. It’s just too far out of range. But the lightning is tearing up parts of the ground, throwing chunks of dirt and rocks around. More out of frustration than actual planning, you duck down and grab the largest stone you can and chuck it at the Pixie.

For a second you think you’ve just missed it, but it suddenly yelps and falters downwards to its side. You at least got it by the wing, and you won’t let it go to waste. Without hesitation, you dart towards it, and grab the Pixie in both of your hands, trapping it in your grasp.

“ _H-hey!_ ” It shrieks, “ _No fair! Take this-_ ” The lightning hurts - maybe not as much as a severe electrical charge should, but still enough to make you bite back a cry. You tighten your hold through the wild blasts until it chokes out a gasp.

“I’m not letting go,” you say, despite the strain it takes, “Not until you surrender.”

It grunts, and the lightning only increases. It claws and bites at whatever it can reach with its needle-sharp teeth. Your hands are burning and you can feel the bolts sear at your face and arms, but you don’t let go. You _refuse_.

Eventually, the magic tapers off. The Pixie is panting weakly, and can only muster up a few sparks. Eventually, those too cease. “ _F-fine. You win._ ” It looks up at you, and smirks a little, “ _I suppose there are worse fates than being bound to such a strong-willed master~_ ” Just as it finishes speaking, its little body flashes into light and disappears from your hands. Your COMP beeps, but you don’t look at it. Your hands hurt too badly to even think about picking it up right now. Instead, you take a breath to steady yourself and run back over to your friends.

Fortunately there’s no sign of their own demons, and despite some scratches and bruises neither looks especially injured. You let out a small sigh of relief.

Loki lets out a long breath and collapses down onto the ground. “Called it. Possessed video games. You two should listen to me more.” Even his voice is shaking, and you try to remember if you’ve ever heard him like this before.

Naoya joins him on the ground, looking and sounding distracted as he retorts half-heartedly, “You said they were _haunted_ video games. That means ghosts, not demons.”

“Semantics, semantics.”

You sit down too. Your legs are shaking, though, and you wind up half-falling and have to catch yourself. You wince as your palms hit the ground. Naoya starts, re-focusing on you.

“Are you okay?” He asks, and you suppose hiding your injuries wouldn’t really do any good. You hold one of your hands out to him, the palm covered in burns and blisters. “What the- what the hell happened?”

“My opponent had some kind of lightning magic.” You say, and do not flinch when you really look at it. They are bad, but the fact that you can still feel the burns means your hands are still not as damaged as they probably should be. Naoya pauses, then flips his own COMP open again, scrolling through something with severe focus.

“Okay, let me try something...” He clicks something on his screen, and your hands start to feel warm. The pain fades into nothing. You test it by clenching and unclenching a fist - everything feels fine.

“What was that?”

He leans over the COMP, and says through grit teeth, “We can use spells too, if we beat the demons who know them. It’s part of the program. All shared between us. _Very_ convenient.” He rubs at his eyes with one hand. “Just what the fuck is going on here? How do you even _program_ magic and demons?”

The question bothers you. You don’t have an answer, not yet, not really, but if feels like you’ve heard - or overheard - the topic before. Your father was always so interested in the potential of technology.

Just thinking about him now, you start to tense. It had been such a long time since you really saw him. Ever since you left the Shomonkai, you can’t remember him even speaking to you. Sometimes you couldn’t even tell if he was home or not, and would only realize he’d been there with you at all because you heard him close the door as he left. And for the last year or so, you hadn’t seen even that much of him. The extent of your interactions was money sent periodically to the house to cover necessities. Easier than potentially dealing with accusations of neglect, you suppose.

And then, after all that, to wind up running into him and many of the organization right there on the street... to hear all those familiar sermons after so long... to feel his eyes catch your’s and know he saw you only to slide away and act like you didn’t exist...

You don’t know what you’d have done if you’d been there on your own. You’d frozen up, overwhelmed by feelings you still hadn’t untangled. Guilt? Intrusion? No matter how you tried, they just didn’t make sense. They still don’t.

“Naoya, slow down with the explanation,” Loki piped up, nudging you with his elbow, “Looks like you even lost Amane in all that technobabble.”

You jump a bit, and chastise yourself for letting yourself lose focus. “Sorry, I’m afraid he’s right.”

That was something nice about Loki. He didn’t ask for an explanation, and he didn’t need one to know how to maneuver the situation. The same thing happened earlier with the Shomonkai. A little prodding and directing, and you were out of there before Azama or someone else may have noticed you.

Now wasn’t the time to thank him, though. Naoya eyes you for a second, but you stare back evenly until he looks back at the COMP. “Well, basically, these things are outfitted with something called a Harmonizer. By connecting to other COMPs, it matches the strength of the demons we summon to our own, so we could actually hurt them and not get killed in one blow. I think that’s related to how we can use their spells too.” He sighs, “I’m not sure if it’s working like a limiter on the demons or empowering us somehow, but the COMPs are really the only thing that puts us on equal level with them. We wouldn’t have had a chance otherwise.”

“But they also summoned the demons in the first place,” you point out “It’s not very good for protection if it’s causing the problem.”

Loki shrugs. “Only if it really is the cause, and not a reaction to them. It’s not like there haven’t been plenty of rumors that the murders around here have been supernatural, and those have been going on for months.”

“That doesn’t hold up if these aren’t the first demon-summoning COMPs, though. If one got into the hands of a person who couldn’t defeat his first summon, that’s all it would take to set one loose.” Your hand goes to the COMP in your pocket, not quite able to vocalise the core of your suspicion yet. “And if Kazuya did get these from someone, then they might have been spreading demons for a while.”

Naoya doesn’t say anything to that for a while. Then, slowly, “The guy who got killed... he was Kazuya’s neighbor. Maybe it’s like you said - he summoned a demon, and couldn’t handle it. The e-mail did say it looked like an animal attack.” He groans, “And if that’s the case, that guy might have even told Kazuya where he could get these stupid things. Whoever’s responsible might even live in this area.”

Loki hums, then abruptly jumps to his feet. “Then what you’re saying is, we should go ask Kazuya about this. If he knows who’s selling them, then he knows who’s responsible, right? Or at least knows another rung up on the ladder.”

You and Naoya both nod, but just as you start to stand, your COMP starts beeping. All three of them do. You open it, and find a new e-mail from none other than the person you were all just discussing.

_[Hey everyone. If you’re reading this, then you must have gotten your COMPs in working condition, in which case, good job! I’m sure you have a lot of questions right now, but I’m short on time, so they’ll have to wait._

_For now, just know it’s crucial you keep these COMPs with you at all times, and you should head up to the Aoyama cemetery if you want to learn more. I’m sure you’ll find it very helpful! Stay safe.]_

You don’t say anything right away, instead reading the short message a few times. Your immediate impression is that Kazuya knows much more about what’s going on than you, but after reading it, you have to admit he doesn’t actually mention anything about demons. Was it even possible for him to know _something_ was strange about the COMPs, but not about that? But if he did know everything, then surely there wasn’t any reason to be cagey about it _now_.

Kazuya’s always been a bit difficult for you to figure out. If you had to choose between whether you liked or disliked him, you’d say you like him. Whenever you both wound up at Naoya’s house at the same time, it was easy enough to talk to him. Especially about music. He got you listening to D-Va in the first place, and when Dolly left to start her solo career he always had news and was willing to share her new singles and performance videos with you.

But, outside outside of those chance meetings and occasional e-mail, you never really saw him. There hadn’t seemed much point. He was an adult with his own life, after all. Loki’s over-familiarity with him seemed stranger to you, but, well, that was Loki for you. Now, though, you’re rather wishing you’d tried a little harder to form a relationship with him. It might be easier to understand how he fits into this situation if you had.

Though given Naoya’s own obvious struggle, that might just be wishful thinking.

“So,” Loki says, after a few silent minutes, “We’re going, right?”

“What else can we do?” Naoya says, with a kind of resignation in his voice.

“If nothing else, we’ll find out if the predictions are consistently right,” you say, “The cemetery was mentioned in the Laplace mail too.”

Naoya still looks stiff and unhappy, and he seems unwilling to look at either of directly. You can guess what kind of suspicions are plaguing him, but for now at least you can’t quite vocalize your own. Despite everything, you don’t want to blame your father while you still have doubts.

 

* * *

 

The walk up towards the Aoyama Cemetery is fairly subdued. Naoya barely answers when either of you try to talk to him, and eventually Loki switches to poking through the COMP and pointing out some features to you. You scan through your own without much concentration. The demons you all defeated are listed, along with the spells you can use and some information on how to get more of both. This is definitely something that’s been worked on for a long time. It’s disturbing to think that someone could be so dedicated to such a dangerous and destructive idea.

The sun is finally falling below the horizon, the sky starting to turn from red to a darker purple. And it’s starting to get a bit chilly - you wish you’d had the foresight to bring a jacket with you like Naoya had.

“This should be the place...” Loki says, walking ahead to start winding through the tombstones. “Anyone see, like, a bomb or something? Can’t have an explosion without one.”

“Kazuya wouldn’t tell us to go here if we were just gonna stumble into a bomb, that’d be stupid,” Naoya says, even more terse than usual. You take a closer look at him. It’s natural for him to be upset by all of this, but there’s something odd about the way he seems to be avoiding looking at Loki or you.

You step in front of him. “Naoya, what’s going on?”

He freezes, and his eyes start to go over your head before he seems to catch himself. He runs a hand through his hair and drops his eyes to the ground. “It’s just... I mean, this is probably going to sound stupid, but,” Again, he gaze flickers up, before finally looking you in the eye again, “You really can’t see-?”

And whatever he says next is cut off by a deafening crash, and a wave of hot air and broken branches snapped off the surrounding trees. When you turn to look, smoke is already pouring into the sky, thick and black with only flickers of red and yellow flames lighting it.

“Shit-” Loki says, stepping backwards toward the two of you. “Guess that answers one question.”

Any questions you had for Naoya would have to wait. “It looked like came from the other side of the forest,” you say, already starting towards it, “We have to go see if anyone’s been hurt.”

You only get a few feet before something feels strange. Where there should be heat from the fire, the air instead feels... cold. Not just the chilly night air from before, but cold enough to make you shiver. And the temperature drops further with each second.

“Amane...” Naoya cautions, keeping you from going any further with a hand on your shoulder, but it’s unnecessary. Now you can see the massive shape emerging from the forest. It nearly looks like a bear with its limbs stretched out, if not for the massive horns and human-like face. Another demon, emanating power far unlike the three you all faced earlier. There’s no need to check the COMP to confirm that. Not when it’s soaked into the very air.

It doesn’t seem to have noticed any of you - it’s too busy looking behind itself, towards the source of the explosion. “ _Tch, that woman... to think humans could have such power!_ ” As it starts to turn, Loki grabs you and Naoya, and pulls you behind one of the tombstones.

You’re still trying to process this, come up with some sort of plan, when someone in familiar orange robes runs out in front of it. A man, you think, arms outstretched as he tries to block its path. “Wait, Wendigo! I forbid you from-”

“ _Ha, you fool._ ” It steps closer to the man, drawing itself up to full height, “ _Do you think you share even a fraction of that woman’s strength?_ ”

Before you can do anything - stand and challenge it, intervene, _anything_ \- the demon roars and a spire of ice shoots from the ground before it, skewering the Shomonkai member. You hear his garbled scream, see the blood dripping off the tip off the spire, and know even before you see the body turn limp that whatever spell healed your hands is absolutely useless here.

Then you do stand up, tearing yourself out of your friends’ hold and pull out your COMP. You won’t sit there and hide, not when you see the blood pooling out on the ground, not when just beyond the cemetery is a city full of people who don’t know this thing is coming.

“Amane, stop!” Naoya hisses and grabs your wrist. “We don’t stand a chance against that thing.”

“No, that man didn’t stand a chance,” you throw back to him with a sharp glare, “We can at least try to fight it.”

“With _what_ , exactly? A cat, fairy, and oversized dog? We’re not gonna do any good if we just get ourselves killed.”

“But-!”

A roar silences both of you, and when you turn you see the Wendigo staring back at you. Its lips curl back to expose its fangs completely. Hiding is no longer an option for you. Naoya curses under his breath, but from the corner of your eye you see him pull out his COMP and stand up himself. You don’t dare take your eyes off the demon to see Loki’s response, but you hear him moving closer as well.

And then you see her.

Or rather, you see the fire first. A thin, well-aimed stream cutting off the demon. But as soon as you see the robes of the Shomonkai again, everything else blanks out for you.

It’s the shorter design, the one your father made to be easier to move in. The matching boots, decorated with flowers. The lotus hair piece is what you keep coming back to. She’s wearing it as a clip, to hold back her long orange hair. For some absurd reason, you want to tell her she’s wearing it wrong. It’s supposed to be a headband. You _always_ wore it as a headband.

It’s the first time you’ve ever seen your replacement. The Shomonkai’s new maiden.

“Amane!”

The sharp sound of your name jerks you back to reality. The new maiden is very skilled, anyone can see that. Her attacks are well-aimed and clearly powerful enough to frighten the Wendigo. But you can see it isn’t looking to fight back. It’s goal is to get away, into the city, and she’s already behind it. With speed you wouldn’t expect from it’s size, it cuts off her attack by shielding itself with a spire of ice, and tries to make a break for the stairs.

In a flash, a bolt of lightning strikes the ground in front of it, startling it into a stop.

“ _You’re something else, Master_ ,” your Pixie says, perching onto your shoulder, “ _Hasn’t anyone taught you to pick your battles better?_ ”

“My thoughts exactly,” Naoya grumbles, but when the Wendigo snarls and starts towards the three of you, fire flickers into his hand and he throws it at the demon.

Wind catches the flare, blowing it into a real burst of flame that makes the Wendigo rear backwards. Loki’s grinning, COMP out and a spark of real excitement finally back in his eyes. A small cat-like demon is at his side, eyeing the monster before you all warily. “C’mon, a challenge is more fun anyway~”

The Wendigo lets out a bellow of rage. A wave of vicious cold wind laced with ice shards pummels the three of you, nearly knocking you off your feet. Loki’s Kabuso tries to use its own fire magic as a counter, but what little it manages is extinguished in the cold before it can even singe the Wendigo’s fur.

But you’ve held it long enough. A pillar of fire engulfs the Wendigo, and its roar turns from anger to agony. The maiden steps between it and the three of you, cutting off its escape completely.

“ _Humans! You think you can humiliate me,_ ” The flames start to dissipate, replaced with a spiral of snow and fog, “ _But I know your scents. You can’t escape me._ ” The swirling blizzard speeds up, and you have to shut your eyes against it. When you open them, there’s no sign of the Wendigo at all. Even the air is starting to feel a little warmer. There’s no sign of your own demons either - they must return to the COMP automatically with no opponents around.

The maiden sighs, and turns to the three of you, saying, “My apologies, I must-” Her eyes catch on you, and she stumbles on her words. It’s the first time she’s really looked at any of you. You don’t know if you should say something. Apologize, maybe. But she doesn’t wait for you to. “I must go after it. If that is the extent of your fighting abilities, you should stay here tonight.”

Naoya glares. “Just what does that mean?”

She pauses to stare at him, as if trying to decide something. When she finally responds, her voice is softer. “Only that there are bound to be more like that one roaming tonight. But I’ll set up a barrier around this area. As long as you stay, no demons will trouble you tonight.” She bows to the three of you, and as she does you can see a surge of light around her that sinks into the ground. When she’s done, the last traces of ice the Wendigo left behind have disappeared. “My name is Yuzu Tanikawa. I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

As she turns to leave, you have to fight back an impulse to stop her. You want to say something. Staying silent just feels like you’re playing dumb, just trying not to acknowledge what you share with her. But the feeling, the understanding, is so massive you don’t know how to start. And while you have questions for her, even a second of thought makes the answers all feel obvious.

Why is she here? Because the Shomonkai is.

Why are they here? Because they’ve set demons loose into the city and now trying to contain them.

And why is she, specifically, here? Because you left. Because there was a hole that needed to be filled. Because your father never let anything stop his goals. Your departure didn’t affect him or the Shomonkai even the smallest bit.

You feel heavy all of a sudden, and just manage to walk over to the grass before sinking to your knees. After a few seconds, Naoya and Loki follow.

“Are you alright?” Naoya asks.

“I don’t know,” you say.

Loki looks around. “Well hey, at least spending the night in a graveyard’s kinda cool. We’ve already got our fill of demons, maybe we’ll get really lucky and see a couple of ghosts after all.”

A bad joke, but you give it a soft laugh anyway. He's trying. You look over to where the body of that other Shomonkai member was left. There’s nothing there anymore. Another side effect of the demons, or of the COMPs? Either way, it doesn’t sit well with you. Even if it would’ve been even more difficult to sleep with a corpse in sight like that.

Naoya sighs, and pulls out his cell phone. “Guess I should call my parents if we’re staying - huh?” He frowns, looking at it more closely, “There’s no service here?”

“Me either,” Loki says, checking his own, “Well, not like I was gonna call them anyway. They’re not gonna notice whether I’m there or not.” He shrugs, and lays back in the grass. “Lucky you, Amane, your dad already knows where you are _and_ he got you a safe place to stay.”

Naoya shoots him a dirty look, but you shrug. After everything that’s happened, it’s too weak of a jab to hurt, and you’re too tired to be annoyed. “I suppose. Would this count as having friends over for the night, then?”

“Of course~” He rolls onto his side, to wink, ”Inviting two boys over for the night? You’re so forward, Miss Kuzuryuu, our classmates would be shocked.”

“Would you knock it off-” Naoya starts to say, but the words trail off as the city below you goes completely black. A power outage, right on cue. Even knowing it was coming, there’s something chilling about actually seeing it happen. You’ve lived in the city for so long, and you’ve never seen it look like this.

And there’s no excuse to doubt the Laplace mail anymore either. You shiver despite yourself.

“See, Naoya? Hurry up and share your jacket already,” Loki says, “You’ve got the only one, you can’t just leave me and Amane to freeze.”

“It’s not _that_ cold anymore,” he huffs. “And anyway, you’ve got long sleeves, they’re just rolled back. Undo them and you’ll be fine.“

Loki makes an offended noise. “I can’t just unroll my sleeves, this is my _outfit_ . Change one thing, and I ruin my whole image. You may as well tell me to get rid of it all!” He grins, “But if you’d prefer _that_ , though, I won’t complain.”

Even in the dark, you can tell Naoya’s rolling his eyes. “Fine, whatever,” Naoya says, taking off his jacket and laptop bag, “Arguing with you is pointless as always.” He looks over at you. “It’s not gonna be much, but if you want...”

“Thank you,” you say, moving over to his side before lying down and pulling part of the coat over you. It’s not that late, but you’re so exhausted. And you have a feeling you’ll need all the rest you can get for tomorrow. There’s just no way you can believe all of this will just disappear overnight and everything will be normal when you wake up. You don’t even think you want to, not with all the evidence pointing towards your father as the reason this is happening.

You remember you never got to hear what was distracting Naoya so much earlier, but for tonight you can set it aside. Naoya’s already stiff and uncomfortable next to you. Even though you’re trying to leave some space between you, by necessity it’s pretty minimal. Neither of you are really used to this kind of intimacy. You don’t think you really dislike it, though. It’s nice, sometimes, to be close to a friend.

You look up at the night sky, the stars more clear than you’d ever seen them before, before trying to sleep. Whatever’s going to happen tomorrow, at least they’ll both be with you for it.


	3. Day 1, part 1

You wake up with a good feeling about today.

Sure, okay, yesterday everything was too much of a surprise for you to really enjoy it. Even you have some limits on what kind of curve balls you can adjust to, and as it turns out, demons appearing out of a game console crosses the line. Who knew, huh?

But _today_ \- today you are 100% ready to dig into this. It’s the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to you, and Kazuya’s fingerprints being all over it only makes it better.

Naoya and Amane are already awake by the time you do, but it doesn’t look like you’ve missed much. They’re just both reading over their e-mails again, and when you follow suit you can see why. Another Laplace Mail’s come in. Alright, it wasn’t just a one-time thing! You grin as you open it and take a look. Continued power outages, cancelled train line, blah blah blah... and a localized blizzard with three murder victims? _Awesome_ , now that’s the kind of thing you were hoping for!

Still, the cancelled train lines are gonna be annoying. If you can’t take one, you guess you’ll have to try and catch a bus to get back home. You want to investigate this - and one glance at the focus in your friends’ eyes is all the proof you need that they agree - but you’d like to change your clothes first. Checking out some forums and see if anyone’s heard about these attacks yet would be helpful too. The service on your phone’s still out, so no internet for you here.

The three of you talk it over for a few minutes, and decide the first thing you should probably do is make sure the rest of the predictions are right. You don’t think any of you are really doubting their validity, but it’s an easy enough thing to check, and you’ve all gotta start somewhere. And Naoya still looks a little out-of-it anyway. You’re guessing he didn’t sleep that great; probably was too wrapped up in thinking about Kazuya. Not that you blame him, you were hoping to run into his cousin again yesterday too. But you’re not worried. After all, if Kazuya knows more about all this than you do, he probably knows how to keep himself alive.

But by the time you’ve scoped out a train station, you’re sure Naoya’ll be more awake. The closest is in Shibuya. As you pass the roads on your way, it seems like every one is clogged with accidents and wreckage. Guess taking a bus home is out of the question too... you click your tongue in frustration.

“All this in just one night...” Amane says, and you see her hand go to the COMP in her pocket. As you get closer you can see claw marks on some of the cars.

“Guess we really were lucky to run into that girl,” Naoya mutters, sounding a bit resentful over saying anything nice about her, “Without that barrier, we’d have been stuck either fighting or running all night.”

You, on the other hand, can give credit where credit is due. “Sweet of Kazuya to look out for us like that.”

Amane gives you a flat look. “It’s not ‘sweet’ to keep us from getting hurt from a situation he put us in. It’s basic decency.”

Well. Hard to argue with that. Naoya looks distinctly uncomfortable at the statement too. You sling an arm around his shoulders, to get a closer look. He’s usually his cousin’s biggest critic. What’s up with the silent treatment?

Soon, you all reach what can only be called a barricade. As far as you can see there’s rows of soldiers, and even more rows of people trying to argue with them. No train stations after all then, not that you’re surprised. What you are surprised by is how extensive this all is, and how quickly it was all set up. When the e-mail mentioned all exits were closed, you were expecting roadblocks on the highway and some cops patrolling. Not stationed Self-Defense Force troops and fully-built fences and blockades even in the streets. The story they’re spreading about underground gas leaks only makes it all reek of even more bullshit. Most of the other people around are starting to disperse as the information gets passed around, though. Guess they’re so desperate for an explanation, they’ll swallow anything.

Most, but not all. There’s a few punk-looking guys who are really trying to argue with the soldiers. Good. Much easier - and safer - to listen in for information than confronting anyone yourself would be. Especially since it’s escalating pretty quickly.

“We’ll lift the lockdown once we can confirm the area is safe,” one of the SDF members says, “So please be patient until then.”

“I ain’t got time for waiting,” the punk says, getting his face as close as possible. “I’ll walk if there’s no trains, so just let me through!”

“It’s for your own protection-”

“And I’m sayin’ I _don’t care_!”

The SDF member’s expression stiffens and his grip on the weapon in his hands shifts. 

It starting to look like things are going to get violent already, when a young woman steps in. She’s short, only a few inches taller than Amane you think, but there’s no questioning the air of authority surrounding her.

“Now, now. If he says there’s a problem, then we should listen.” Her tone is light, but there’s a sharp edge to her smile, “After all, who are we to question the people working _so hard_ to protect us from such an unexpected threat?” Even the soldier looks a little uncomfortable at her words. But the gang member listens to her and backs off, and as you take in the white jacket and red ribbon tying her hair back, a lightbulb goes off in your head.

“No way! It’s Lady Mochizuki!”

Naoya raises an eyebrow. “‘Lady’?”

You roll your eyes at him. “Figures you haven’t heard. She’s the leader of the Shibuya Daemons.”

“And why do _you_ know that?”

“It’s not like they’re a secret - as far as gangs go, they’re pretty infamous. Word is, they look out for everyone in their territory, and a lot of the locals support them. And having such a lovely leader despite being an all-male gang’s caught attention.”

“If she’s that well-connected,” Amane says, “Then do you think she can help us find Kazuya?”

“Worth a shot!” You grin and walk ahead to approach her. You’ve heard of her and seen pictures, of course, but she’s really something else in person. There’s a real sense of power and assurance in her stance, and her gray eyes are completely unperturbed despite the troops at her back and upset subordinates looking to her for answers. No wonder she rose to such acclaim.

When she finishes speaking to her followers, she turns and smiles and looks for all the world like a patient young school teacher. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, actually! We’re looking for my friend’s cousin,” you pull Naoya forwards and gesture at him. “He lives nearby, but we lost touch in the blackout and haven’t heard from him since. We’re all really worried, would you mind giving us a hand?”

“I see... do you have a photograph?”

“Yeah, actually,” Naoya says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Huh, you didn't know that. You'll have to ask him later how long he's been carrying around a picture of his dear cousin.

She looks it over, then takes a picture of it with her own cell phone. “Alright, I’ll spread this around. If we find anything out, I’ll make sure you know. Is there anything else?”

You shrug. “I guess a way out is too much to hope for?”

She laughs. “Of course. We wouldn’t still be here if it weren’t.” Then she spots a few other men waiting for her on the other side of the street and gives your group a short wave and heads over to them.

“So what now?” You ask, turning back to the other two, “If we’re really stuck in here, what’s our next step?”

Naoya frowns and crosses his arms. “We don’t know for sure that we’re stuck. We should at least check for any weak points in the barricade - they might have overlooked something.”

That catches you off-guard. Amane looks pretty surprised too, and says, “Maybe if this really was all set-up overnight, but they’ve obviously been preparing for a while-”

“We still can’t be sure without looking!” He snaps and starts walking away. Wow, he’s really agitated. Sure, it’s not how you expected this weekend to go either, but - “I’m going to check, whether you guys follow or not.”

You share a look with Amane. It’s not like there isn’t some merit in what Naoya’s saying, but between the barricade and the Laplace Mail, it just feels like a waste of time running around to double-check. It just doesn’t make sense when there’s so many other things you could be investigating. But Naoya’s nothing if not stubborn, and if you let him run off on his own with no cell service around you’re not sure how easily you’ll find him again. The two of you go after him.

 

* * *

 

You all walk along the entire west side, but there’s not a single opening you can see. You’re not surprised, but Naoya just gets more and more anxious the further you go. Which means a shorter and shorter fuse. By the time you all get to Shinjuku, he looks about ready to just fight through the barricade himself.

“This is ridiculous, there’s gotta be some way out.” He’s more muttering than really talking to either of you. Has he even really looked at you since this morning? It’s getting frustrating. You scan the milling crowd half-heartedly for anything interesting to focus on instead.

And boy, do you find it.

“Yo, Gin! Is that you?” A boy with slicked-back wavy hair jumps at the name, and turns to stare at you. Yep, you’d know that face anywhere. You laugh and walk over, giving him a good hard pat on the shoulder. “No way, it’s been ages! How’ve you been?”

For a few seconds, Gin just gapes at you. You're not surprised. Of all the places to run into each other, this wouldn’t have been one of your top guesses. If you remember right, he doesn’t even live around here. But then he gives his head a quick shake and grins back at you. “Oh, y’know, fine! High school’s kicking my ass, but that’s no surprise, right?”

“Ha ha, guess not!” From behind you, a distinct cough catches your attention. You look and Amane and Naoya are watched the two of you. “Oh, right-” You step back, sliding a hand onto Naoya’s far shoulder and gesturing to the two of them. “Gin, these are my friends, Amane and Naoya. You two, this is Gin. He and I went to the same middle school.”

Gin rubs his neck, looking a little stiff and awkward at the sudden attention, but shakes Amane’s hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Eiji Takemiya - you can call me Gin.”

She nods and smiles a bit. “Amane Kuzuryuu, a pleasure.”

Naoya doesn’t look any more comfortable than Gin does. “C’mon, play nice,” you say, nudging him forward. He shoots you a quick glare, but finally offers a hand out.

“Naoya,” he says, “I can only imagine how much more trouble he was even younger. My sympathies.”

Gin glances at you for a second and laughs, though it still sounds pretty tense. “Nah, not really... I mean, we had a lot of fun together and all that...”

They both seem distinctly unwilling to look at each other, and as soon as they drop their hands Naoya’s crossing his arms again. You perk up a bit. Is this still because of his weird mood, or is he actually jealous? Only one way to find out for sure. You gasp, a little louder than necessary, and step closer to Gin to get a better look. “What? Gin, you’re not wearing your earrings anymore! Don’t tell me you let the holes fill back in.”

He practically jumps out of his skin. “Huh? Oh, well-”

“What a waste. They looked so good on you.” You brush some hair away from his ears and sigh, “And after all the trouble I went through piercing them for you...” Gin’s face goes bright red.

“That’s- it’s not like I didn’t appreciate that, just, y’know, dress codes and-”

Ahh, he’s still as cute as ever. You can let him off the hook this time. “Don’t worry about it, I’m pulling your leg. They did suit you though.” You step back with a wink. “Let me know if you ever want ‘em redone, okay?”

Amane’s retort is sharp. “In that case, he should see a professional.”

Gin laughs, rubs the back of his neck. “Y-yeah, I’ll keep that in mind.” He shuffles his feet a bit and looks at the ground before saying, “Look I- I’m sorry, I really gotta go.” He looks up at you quickly, still a little red. “It was good seeing you.” And then he turns and disappears into the crowd before you can do anything to stop him.

Hmm, did you go a bit overboard there? It’s not like him to be so shy. Naoya gives you an incredulous look.

“Care to explain what _that_ was about?”

“What do you mean? Just two old friends running into each other, that’s all.” You give him the most innocent smile you can muster. He remains unconvinced. Good, good~

“Even for you, that was very inconsiderate,” Amane says, sounding disappointed. “Your friend looked very upset over being put on the spot like that. You should apologize if we run into him again.”

Well. You still don’t really feel bad about it. But when she gets that tone in her voice you can’t help but squirm juuust a little. “I guess. That’s a pretty big ‘if’, though, with everything that’s going on.”

“Still, I’m holding you to that.”

Great... you try not to roll your eyes. The things you do for these people.

Naoya’s already started walking and saying something about checking the east side (really? Why would that be any different?), when you see him pause.

“...Was that Kazuya?”

You perk up, try to match where he’s looking. If you squint, you can spot a flash of blue hair and dark clothes heading down an alley. “Maybe? Looks kinda like him!”

That’s all the confirmation Naoya needs before he’s bolting off after him. You glance over at Amane, but just for a second before you follow Naoya down the alley. She looks like she wants to say something, but whatever it is will just have to wait.

 

* * *

 

Just as the narrow street opens out into a long-neglected square between buildings, you start to lose sight of him. And just as you start to lose sight of him, the demons hit. Not a lot, but enough to get in your way. None of them are even half as strong as that Wendigo from yesterday, but they still keep the three of you busy while Kazuya disappears down the alley on the opposite side.

Once you’ve blown the last bird-girl out of the sky, you hear Naoya curse and kick a trashcan over.

“What the hell is his problem?” he yells, pacing in what space there is. “Did he do that on purpose? Is he _trying_ to get us killed?”

“Hey, relax!” you say, patting his shoulder, “It’s not like the fight was all that bad.”

He shoves you off. “That’s _not_ the point!”

Before he can start ranting about what the point is, though, your COMPs beep. Another system e-mail, this time about something called a ‘demon auction’. Once you’ve finished reading it and exit out, there’s a new app on the menu page called just that.

You poke through it - some of the demons you’ve already fought are listed, but there’s other ones you haven’t run into yet too. “What do you think?” you turn to Naoya, “Was all this programmed by someone too?”

“I... I don’t think so,” he says. There’s still a tenseness to his voice, but the interruption’s done a lot to curb his frustration. Or at least focus it. “I mean, it doesn’t look like the COMPs are creating the demons. Just... unleashing them, I guess. And if that’s true, then macca has to be something with actual value for them. If it was just some arbitrary monetary system set up by a human, I can’t imagine they’d care about it, let alone want it badly enough to sell themselves into a contract for it.”

Amane nods. “It seems to be self-run, too, which fits with the idea that it’s something the demons made on their own. It’s more likely, I think, that it predates the COMPs completely, and the program is just tapping into it.”

The idea sinks in for a few seconds. Demons earning money through contracts, running their own business... you have to laugh at it. “To think, people worry about selling their souls to these things, and all demons want is cash upfront!”

“Maybe that’s why you have to fight the first ones you summon. No macca, so you can’t pay them off,” Naoya says, still scrolling through the options. He pauses, and then looks up and closes his COMP. “C’mon, we shouldn’t just keep waiting around here. More of those things might pop up.”

That doesn’t sound so bad to you, but ah well. You shrug, “Should we keep trying to follow Kazuya? I mean, there’s really only one other way out of here.”

He sighs. “May as well, I guess. Maybe some demons slowed him down too.”

It doesn’t look that way - maybe demons don’t like fighting in such narrow spaces, because the alley on the other side of the open area looks pretty much untouched.

You do think Naoya’s right that Kazuya let you get attacked on purpose, though you don’t bring it up now that he’s calmed down. Though the question in that case is why he wanted to get you off his tail so badly, if he let you see him in the first place. Maybe that really was an accident, but it still feels like too much of a coincidence for that. And none of that really answers why he’s hiding from you in the first place. He must have a reason, but spending all this time looking for exits isn’t getting you closer to figuring out what it is.

By the time you see light from the open street, you realize you’re hearing something kind of odd.

“Is that... music?” Naoya asks. Amane’s stuck still, her eyes growing wide.

“It can’t be...” she says, but walks ahead right towards the source of the sound. You’re surprised, until you catch a few bars yourself that you recognize. Dolly’s latest single.

Sure enough, as you emerge from the alley out into the open street, there she is. The idol herself, singing and dancing in full costume, right in the middle of the Lockdown. She’s drawn quite a crowd, even some kids in the front trying to sing along.

And Amane, she looks absolutely _starstruck_.

You guess anyone would be, getting to meet their favorite celebrity, but still. This is Amane, Miss Self-Control herself, and she looks like she’s half a second from joining in.

“Thank for listening guys!” Dolly calls out as the song wraps up, “I hope this brightened your day, and remember - the power of love can’t be beat by some dumb little lockdown!” She winks and holds out her signature sign, her index and middle finger crossed into an ‘x’. Her audience cheers, and you see some fans mimic her. Amane’s still too frozen to manage that. A plain looking older guy with glasses starts gesturing people away, asking them not to crowd around Dolly too much. With the group starting to disperse, you nudge Amane’s arm.

“Aren’t you gonna go talk to her? Now’s your big chance!”

She practically leaps out of her skin, and looks at you like she forgot you were there. Probably did. “I - I wouldn’t want to bother her...”

Naoya snorts. “C’mon, you think someone as peppy as that’s gonna get annoyed by a fan saying hi? No way. You’ll probably make her day.”

She’s still hesitating, lacing her fingers together nervously. It’s kind of adorable. With a grin, you give her a good-natured push in Dolly’s direction. “Go on, go on~”

Amane finally takes a breath and starts looking more in-control again, and finally walks over to Dolly. “Ah, excuse me...”

“Oh, hi there!” Dolly says, giving Amane a huge smile, “You came in just at the end, right? Sorry you didn’t get to hear much.”

“No, there’s no need to apologize,” she says, “I was very glad to hear anything at all. I’ve never been able to go to a live show, and never would have expected to see one here of all places.”

“Yeah, this lockdown’s been a really big shock. I was on my way to an event when I got stuck in here. It’s too bad, but lucky me, Keisuke’s helping me out~” Dolly waves enthusiastically at the plain guy, who’s moved from pushing back the crowd to packing up the small sound system they were using, smiles a bit and waves back. Looks a little embarrassed, though. “Still, if this is your first show, I feel really bad it was so short for you. And for not making it a _really_ great one.” Dolly taps her chin with her finger, then lights up, “Hey, I’ve got an idea! Give me your number, and I’ll make sure you get a ticket to my next one! It’ll have a backstage pass and everything.”

Amane looks like she’s about to pass out. “I couldn’t possibly-”

“C’mon, please? I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun! And we can talk some more afterwards too.”

She glances back at you and Naoya. You shoot her a thumbs-up. She looks back and finally says, “Well, alright. If you’re sure.”

“Yaaay! Here, let me see your phone...” A couple of seconds of button-tapping, and Dolly gives it back to Amane beaming. “Okay, nice to meet you, Amane! Don’t let the lockdown get _you_ down!” It’s an absolutely _terrible_ joke, but Amane smiles and laughs a bit anyway.

The guy - Keisuke you guess - finally taps Dolly on the shoulder. “Midori, we really ought to be getting back now.”

She gives an exaggerated pout. “Fiiine, if you say so.” She gives Amane one more smile and waves, “See you later!”

Amane waves back, and as soon as Dolly and her - friend? manager? whatever- are out of sight, she turns back to the two of you and says, “I suppose I’ll have Kazuya to thank for this.”

You laugh. “Aww, don’t be like that! Just focus on what matters - your idol crush is _definitely_ crushing on you back.”

“It’s not like that - I don’t even know her, really, there’s nothing to ‘crush’ on.” But there’s still some pink on her cheeks, and she looks happier than you’ve seen her in a while. Even Naoya looks like he’s relaxed a bit after all that. Or at least he did. For like half a second. Then his whole face drops and he’s distracted and miserable again and _holy shit_ , you are sick of this.

“Okay Naoya, spill. What’s bugging you _now_?”

“Huh?” He straightens, looking defensive. “Nothing, I just... we’ve just gotta get back to looking for a way out, that’s all.”

“You still think we will?” Amane says, not hiding how unbelievable she finds the idea anymore. “Naoya, we’ve seen enough to know they’ve got guards around the entire perimeter. The only way we’d get out is to fight them, and that would only end with us in jail or shot. It’s a terrible idea right now.”

“We don’t know-”

“Just look at it, they’ve obviously been planning this for ages!” You sweep an arm around you at all the closed shops, “And if that’s true, we can’t expect they’ve made a big mistake that three students could just stroll out without a problem. Otherwise everyone would’ve taken advantage of it.”

Naoya steps back when confronted by both of your vehemence, then scowls and shoots back, “I don’t accept that, there’s gotta be something we can do! We can’t just sit around trapped in here, just waiting to get mauled by some kind of monster.”

Amane pauses, then asks, “Naoya, are you worried about the ‘snowman’ the Laplace mail mentioned?” He freezes. Bingo then. Her expression softens for a second, but there’s still a stern look in her eyes. “Actually, I wanted to talk about that with you both.” She straightens, and looks directly at both of you. “I think we should try to stop it again after all.”

Naoya goes even paler than usual. “Are you insane? You know what it says!”

“I know. Three murder victims.” She sounds calm, but if she’s been thinking about this since getting that e-mail, it’s hard to take at face value. “But if it _isn’t_ us, then that means someone else will be killed by it, and likely more after that. And if it is, even if we avoid it now, we’ll probably be attacked by it again later anyway. You both heard what that demon said last night.”

You do. It’s probably tracking your scents even right now.

“I’d rather confront it and know what I’m getting into than be caught off-guard later on. And if it’s someone else who gets attacked, I want to protect them.” She pauses. “This all... it’s definitely because of my father. I know it. You both know it too, I’m sure.” You and Naoya trade an uneasy glance, and don’t refute it. You’re not sure about him, but she’s never talked about him to you this directly. It feels like resignation to hear it from her now. “If he caused this, then it’s my responsibility to fix it.”

Naoya flinches, looking hurt. “It’s not your fault-”

“Maybe not. But I helped him build the Shomonkai for years, and didn’t tell anyone who could stop him when I left. I am, without question, at least partially to blame for this.” A pause. “I can’t ask either of you to help me with this, but you won’t change my mind either.”

For a few long seconds, none of you say anything.

So you break the silence. “Sounds good to me! Hell, I wanted to figure out more about all this anyway. Sticking it to your dad’s a great bonus.”

Naoya takes a bit longer. “It’s not like I don’t think you’re right.” His words are slow and careful, a rarity. “But the way we are now, we don’t stand a chance against that thing. I said it last night too, but no one gets helped by us running in unprepared and getting ourselves killed.”

“Good thing we’ve got the auction,” you say, pulling out your COMP to wave at him, “All we’ve got to do is get some stronger demons there, maybe swipe a couple of spells from any we run into around here, and we’ll be ready to take on that overgrown carpet!”

He still doesn’t answer. But as stubborn as he can get, you don’t really think he’d turn away from _both_ of you. And eventually, he says, “What time is it now?”

Amane checks her phone. “Almost 11:30.”

“Okay,” he looks up, “Then we’ve got about an hour and a half to get ourselves ready and over to the theme park in time. Let’s see what we can do with it.”

Amane’s entire body unwinds, just enough to be visible. You beam, and ask, “Think another alley’s a good place to start?”

 

* * *

 

The park is deserted when you get there. Not a single soul as far as you can see. Guess that clears up who the Laplace mail was referring to - you glance at your friends. Amane seems a bit reassured by that. You agree with her on that. Easier to just look after yourself than trying to keep other people alive too. Naoya, though... Naoya’s still the picture of determination, but there’s a thread of anxiety woven through it, from his clenched fists to the set of his jaw.

Amane puts a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll defeat it this time,” she says, voice steady. Naoya takes a breath, then nods.

Then it’s there. A breath of cold wind that doesn’t dissipate, and instead grows into chilling fog that covers the pavement around you all. The wind intensifies, howling around you as it spirals up into a familiar pillar, until the howling become a bellow and the fog blows apart to reveal the Wendigo. It grins, lips curling back to expose as many teeth as possible. “ _I’ve found you at last, humans._ ”

Your COMPs signal the switch into battle mode, and your demons are out - which for you means Kabuso clinging to your back, and Ogre towering beside you.

There’s no time to waste. The Wendigo strikes fast, shooting out shards of ice towards you all. A flicker of red-brown besides you, and Amane’s Waira has swept her out of range, with her Pixie fluttering alongside. Your Ogre steps forward with its machete to shatter the larger shards aimed for you and Naoya. Amane’s Zio hits the Wendigo directly, but it just grunts and shakes off the shock. Naoya and your Kabuso both try to throw the flame magic Agi at it, but you’re just too far out of range. The cold winds no longer put it out completely, but your bursts of fire are still too small to do much more than singe the Wendigo’s fur from this distance. And your own Zan spell can’t stand up to the blizzard.

“We’ve gotta get closer,” Naoya hisses under his breath at you, then glances over at his Kobold, “Can you cover us?”

“ _Will follow orders_ ,” it growls, teeth bared at the threat before it, “ _Will protect Master_.”

You both try to sneak closer as the Wendigo keeps aiming for Amane - it’s speed from last night outpaces any of you on your own, but that Waira is keeping her moving pretty fast. Some stray ice hits, but so far the Wendigo can’t quite manage a direct blow.

She keeps it busy, long enough that you’re able to close the distance and get Naoya and your Kabuso the chance to land two direct hits of Agi. But the counterattack is too fast. With a snarl, Wendigo turns and summons the same massive spikes of ice that skewered the guy last night.

Naoya’s Moh Shuyuu swoops down and lifts him out of range before they can hit, and his Kobold shatters one before it can get too far, but it’s not enough. You have to dive blindly out of the way, and the cat on your back makes your movements clumsy. One spear gets you in the side, and you hit the ground hard.

“Shit-” you hiss, scrambling to your feet and decisively not looking at your wound. Each movement hurts, but you’re not letting that keep you still long enough for a second hit. Easier said than done - you stumble trying to move. You hear a ‘tsk’ in your ear and Amane’s Pixie darts in front of you, . The pain eases, and Amane’s helping you up to your feet, and pulling you away from a swipe of the Wendigo’s claws.

“Are you alright?” Amane calls over her shoulder at you, as you hear the Wendigo snarl after you two.

You start to nod, realize she can’t see it, and answer, “Yeah, I owe you one.”

After that, you all try to keep the strategy going. Hit fast with your spells, from as far off as you can. Let your two physical fighters mitigate the counterattacks. Get away as quick as possible. But it’s not long before you notice your own demons starting to slow, growing more exhausted with each hasty retreat. And you don’t have Amane’s Waira to speed you along, or Naoya’s Moh Shuyuu to give you a few crucial seconds of flight. You’re the easiest target, and the Wendigo starts to notice.

You’re driven further away from Naoya and Amane, and further into a corner.

It’s then that you notice. There’s movement at the edges of the pavement, shadows slinking behind the bushes and around corners. And then you recognize the shapes - demons, some even the same kind you have fighting with you right now. Your movements slow to a stop as your concentration breaks with the realization. You call over to your friends, “Looks like we’ve got an audience.”

You see Amane follow your gaze, finally noticing the growing number. None of them are getting too close with all the ice being flung around, but there’s no opening to run anymore. You can see it in their eyes. They’re all just waiting for you to try.

“Look out-!” Naoya shouts, and you snap back to attention just in time to be shoved away by your Ogre, as a stake of ice shoots up from the ground to impale it.

Then Naoya’s there, grabbing your arm and hauling you up. But the Ogre disappears into light as the ice shatters. Naoya swears under his breath and his Moh Shuyuu and Kobold move protectively in front of the two of you as the Wendigo turns in your direction.

“No good...” he says, catching sight of the demons surrounding you all, and for a second fear flickers in his expression. “We can’t win an endurance contest. We need a way to do some real damage to this thing.”

Then, he hesitates. Sees Amane’s Pixie launching another Zio with her preparing to follow it up, and suddenly his eyes widen and he shouts over to her, “Wait, don’t! Use Bufu instead!”

You stare at him. You can’t help it. “And what good’s more ice gonna do?”

He ignores you, but Amane listens, and his own Moh Shuyuu follows suit. The Wendigo snorts as its coat is dusted with frost. “Now, make your cat help me out here,” he says to you, his hand lighting with flame. Suddenly, you figure it out, and with a grin, give the Kabuso a nod in the Wendigo’s direction. It sniffs a bit over Naoya’s comment, but obeys, shooting out a quick barrage of little flames, that don’t do much more than melt the frost. The water starts to drip off the Wendigo’s fur, into tiny puddles on the ground.

Before it can summon another ice storm, Kobold charges towards it. The Wendigo holds its ground, and more than matches its attack with a blow from one of its massive fists instead.

But that’s all the time Amane and her Pixie need to throw the lightning at its sopping wet fur.

The roar of agony is almost deafening, but the Wendigo’s been totally paralyzed by the force of the electric shock. You can smell the burning fur from here, and see bits of smoke starting to peel from it.

As the worst of the shocks dissipate, the Wendigo’s still not moving. No counterattacks, no trying to run. It’s stuck doing little more than letting out low moans of pain. The air is still now. Naoya gives you a look, and calmly walks towards the mammoth creature, leaving you to follow. Once you’re both just a few feet away and it’s starting to struggle to move despite the flickers of electricity still coursing through it, he conjures another flame, which catches in your Zan spell and finally bursts into a real blaze that consumes the immobile demon.

No more roars, no more groans. The noise it’s making can only be called _screaming_. You rest a hand on your hip, just next to where that ice had hit you, and feel yourself grinning.

When the flame dies down, the Wendigo goes with it. It’s body turns completely into ice, and shatters to pieces before the three of you.

The demons that have been observing you aren’t moving at all anymore. All that remains of the Wendigo is melting fast now that the summer heat is back in full force. Naoya steps towards the crowd, straight and unflinching and snarls out, “Who wants to be next?”

You hear muttering from the crowd, see them shift and draw back. There’s nothing awkward or uncertain about Naoya in this moment. Everything about him enforces a promise that he can and _will_ back those words up. And the demons can feel it. At last, a Pixie turns and flies off. The rest are quick to follow.

After a few seconds, when your own demons vanish and it’s obvious that none of those others are coming back, you let out a laugh. Shakier than you want it, but oh well. You walk up to Naoya, patting him on the shoulder. “Damn, if you could scare demons off that easily, you should’ve done it earlier!”

“Today’s full of surprises,” he says. But as he turns to face the two of you, his legs start to buckle. Amane steps forward to help, but before you can do or say anything, he’s got an arm around each of you, pulling you both into a hug.

That. Um. Definitely qualifies as another one.

As you’re scrambling for a response, he just says, “Sorry, I just- just give me a minute and don’t say anything.” Ah. Okay, sure, that simplifies it for you. After a second, you reach up and half-hug him back, and pointedly try to keep Amane from seeing your face. You’re not entirely sure how it looks right now, and you’d rather no one else knows either.


	4. Day 1, part 2

You don’t know what’s more humiliating - running _into_ Shirou like that, or running _away_ from him. You didn’t even say anything, didn’t even try to warn him. You just turned tail and ran off because, what, you couldn’t keep your cool? Got a little embarrassed? Big deal, that’s nothing.

That glowing red zero just keeps coming back to you, over and over, no matter how many streets you pace up and down. You want to punch something. That was a chance to help him - and those new friends of his too, you guess. Are you really so petty, so small, that you’d just run away because you couldn’t handle a little teasing?

 _Apparently, yes_ , you think, chest tight and face red. And c’mon, it’s not like you should’ve expected any different from him. Shirou’s never been what you’d call sentimental... and it has been a couple of years. It’s probably normal that he wouldn’t be all that worked up about seeing you again. Considering how things ended between you two, just the fact that he noticed and called out to you was a surprise. And yet, instead of just being casual about it like him, you went ahead and made it weird.

And now you might not get a chance to make it up to him. No wonder he dropped you the second something else came along. You’re such a...

You stop and shake your head. You’re thinking like he’s already dead, but the day wasn’t over yet. There’s still a chance the three of them could be alive! Waiting, doing nothing, and then crying over it when it’s too late - _that’s_ what would be _really_ pathetic. Way more than you already are. You take a deep breath. If your guess about what the numbers means is right, you’ve still got until tomorrow. If you can just find those three again, maybe you can do more than just warn them.

With new determination, you start scoping for where they might have wound up. What were some of the most dangerous places in the city? With demons around, everywhere was dangerous, of course, but there had to be some areas that were worse than others. Deserted places, you’re guessing. Or maybe places where attacks have already happened. Just with that thought, the memory of Kaido’s older brother and what happened to him punches you in the gut.

What if it’s the same monster that did that? Everything Kaido’s told you about his brother painted him as someone who was strong and brave, and would never go down without a fight. If it was something strong enough to kill even _him_ , would you really have a chance?

...You decide it doesn’t matter. If you really can’t help at all, well... it’s not like one day is much to waste.

 

* * *

 

When you finally do run into them, it’s almost three hours later. They’re hanging around Akihabara, looking into the windows of the closed stores.

The zeroes over their heads have changed to twos.

For a few seconds, you’re too light-headed by the realization to move. Then a dizzy smile starts spreading across your face, and you raise a hand and call over to Shirou. He looks over and grins as you walk over.

“Man, am I glad I ran into you again,” you say, still smiling like an idiot and hoping he won’t say anything about your hasty retreat last time. It’s fine now, after all. Everything’s in the past, and getting through the next couple of days is more important. It’d have to be easier to do that working together, right? “Are you all holding up okay?”

“Oh yeah, just fine!” He says, eyes glittering in that way they always did when he had a rumor to spread, “You should’ve seen the monster we’ve been up against, it was-”

And then the tall guy with the red eyes jams him in the side with an elbow, hissing, “Don’t go spreading that around, you’ll freak people out.”

Your mouth tightens. Right, you remember, that’s Naoya. There’s something about him that sets your teeth on edge. He just... he acts so dismissive towards Shirou. As if he doesn’t even like him. Is that really the kind of person Shirou’d rather hang out with...? No, c’mon, maybe it’s just the situation stressing him out, you shouldn’t judge so quickly. You manage to force the smile back up, and say, “It’s fine, I know what you’re talking about. Demons, right?” You pull your COMP out of your pocket. “I’m guessing you all got one of these too.”

They all stare, mouths closed and eyes wide open. Even Shirou’s without a comeback to that. You almost want to laugh.

“Where... did you get that?” The girl, Amane, asks.

You shrug. “This guy gave it to me the other day - it was really weird, to be honest. He just handed it to me out of nowhere. Didn’t even get his name.”

They trade uneasy glances, and it’s Naoya who winds up asking, “The guy - was he taller than me? Dark hair, really blue eyes?”

After a second of thinking about it, you say, “I think so?” As soon you do, Naoya’s face darkens into a scowl. “Why does that matter, do you know him or something?”

“He’s my cousin.” He pushes some hair out of his face and add, almost under his breath, “What the _fuck_ is he even doing? Like it wasn’t bad enough to get us involved, he’s dragging strangers into it too...”

“Hey, I don’t think he meant anything bad,” you say, not entirely sure why you’re now in a position to defend his cousin, “I mean, I don’t know how I’d have gotten through last night without it! It’s really been helpful.”

“Well it won’t be soon,” Amane sighs, looking a bit frosty herself, “The batteries are already getting low.”

You perk up. Maybe you were too late to help them out with their earlier problem, but this was definitely something you could handle. “If that’s why you’re here, I know where you can get a charger. One of those hand-crank ones. Follow me.”

Most of the stores are closed, it’s true, but there’s at least one that only looks it. All it takes is checking the back door instead of the front. As you lead the group around the side of the building, Shirou walks at your side and asks, “Oh? And what brought you to a place like this?” You smile, actually kind of proud to know something he doesn’t. Back in middle school, it never seemed possible.

“A guy I know told me about it earlier, when I mentioned my own COMP was starting to die. He lives around here and knows a lot of people involved with the Daemons.” You decide not to mention the ‘guy’ was your tutor, and had been for a few years now. Just not important for anyone to know. In a few minutes and a quick drop of the name ‘Nikaido’, you’ve got another almost-new charger, which you hand to Shirou.

“So, with that taken care of,” you say, “Mind if I ask you guys a question?”

He grins. “Sure, name it!”

You take a breath, and finally ask, “How’d you get your numbers to go up?”

Behind him, you don’t miss the way Naoya stiffens. But Shirou just raises an eyebrow at you and asks, “What are you talking about?”

You blink. “Y’know, that creepy, floating countdown thing...”

“Naoya.” Amane interrupts, and there’s an edge in her voice that even makes you feel like you’ve done something wrong. “You know something about this.”

And then nobody's paying any attention to you at all anymore.

Naoya looks like a cornered rat, panicked and ready to bite. He won’t meet her eyes. “I mean- I was going to tell you-”

“And when was that going to be, exactly?” Then her iciness melts into something almost hurt, and she ducks down to try and make him look at her. “Naoya, this sounds very important. You had to know that. How could you not even mention it to us?”

“Easy for you to say!” He snaps, finally looking back up, teeth bared. Now you can see all too easily how he towers over her, and you feel a need to step in between them and make sure he doesn’t escalate this. “Neither of you could see them at all! I had no idea if what I was seeing was even real at first, how _could_ I bring it up?”

“You know now, don’t you? And you still didn’t say anything.”

“Look, I _know_ , okay? I-” He stops, looks over at you as if he just remembered you existed. He lets out a shaky breath, and says, “Look, can you give us a minute here?”

You don’t really know if you should, with the way he’s acting right now, but Amane says, “Sorry, we just... we have to get this sorted out first. We’ll talk after.”

She and Naoya leave without giving you a chance to protest, and Shirou doesn’t even hesitate to follow them. You try to grab his shoulder, to at least get him to talk to you. “Wait, Shirou, seriously, this is important. I gotta know-”

He shrugs off your hand without even a pause. “Sorry, Gin, you heard Amane. We can talk later, right now I gotta hear this.” He grins and starts to turn away, but pauses just long enough to add, “Oh, and by the way, you should really call me Loki now. Everyone else does now.” And then he just waves his hand, and heads off to re-join his new group.

 

* * *

 

You don’t wait around for them to finish talking. Maybe you’re running away again, but you just _can’t_ . It’s really not jealousy, you think, you can feel sure of that now. You’re just _pissed_ . Even though you had something important to talk about, that you really needed help with, Shirou - or Loki, whatever the fuck _that_ means - couldn’t even be bothered to listen to you. His friends, okay, fine, you guess it makes sense they’d care more about whatever problem they’re having together than your’s. But c’mon, you two were friends for years! You knew him before either of them, and probably _better_ than either of them too.

And that just... meant nothing at all to him now. You pale in comparison to an asshole with a garbage temper who keeps things from his friends. Great to know! Super!

You knew that he ditched you because he wanted something else, but you still thought... you push some loose bangs out of your face and sigh. You don’t really know what you thought. Seeing him again’s got your head all over the place. Maybe it’s better not to get help from him, if this is the kind of effect he has on you.

Without knowing what else to do, you head back towards Kaido’s apartment. He was able to help you find a charger, maybe if you talk to him about this, he’ll have some ideas. The one over your head feels heavy now, weighing on your shoulders and making your steps drag.

That might be why you manage to hear it. It’s not that loud, but as you’re trudging back you can hear some strange noises coming from a parking lot behind some of the shops. Almost sounds like a pack of dogs or something, a bunch of grunts and snarls. You glance up and down the street. There’s still quite a few people around, but no one seems interested in finding out what the cause is. In fact, a few even look up and start walking faster away from them.

And all the anger and guilt you’ve been carrying around all day explodes. What are these people thinking, just ignoring something like this? That self-centeredness, that easy apathy - it makes you sick. So you straighten yourself and run around the building towards the lot.

Your instinct is right. More demons, a group of four this time. But not just them - there’s a girl there too, bright red hair, cornered against the back wall of the store. She glances over at you, and the grim stoicism you see in her face collapses instantly into fear. Without seeming to think, she shouts, “Are you stupid? Get out of here!”

The demons turn towards you and a pair of Kobolds among them snarl and lunge at you. You pull out your COMP, and Ogre and Ogun appear at your sides, weapons brandished. Ogre stops the two with a full body blow, and though Ogun’s magic isn’t strong, its Agi is enough to at least drive back the remaining threats.

Without hesitating, you manage to grab the girl’s wrist. “This way,” you hiss, pulling her away and back towards safety as you let your demons take care of their own. It doesn’t take long for them to finish. By the time you’re back onto the main streets, you hear the signal from your COMP that the battle is over. Looks like your team managed fine. At this point, that’s no surprise - the whole group was just more of the weaker demons you’d seen around before. Only dangerous for regular humans.

Speaking of - you look up at the girl, at the zero over her head. She’s staring at you with obvious caution, and you pocket your COMP again. “It’s okay, you’re safe,” you say, even if it’s not entirely true, “Those demons can’t hurt you now.”

“You didn’t have to do any of that but... thanks, I guess,” she says, rubbing at her arm and still staring at your COMP. “How did you do that, anyway? Summoning those... those _things_.”

“Hell if I know - some guy just gave it to me, I’ve had to figure the rest out on my own,” you shrug. Your honesty seems to put her a little more at ease, so you decide to ask a little more, “Why were you hanging out somewhere like that? Deserted places are pretty dangerous, even without monsters running around.”

“It’s no big deal. I was just passing through when I got caught in the blackout last night, so I’ve been trying to stay out of anyone’s way since then.” There’s something about how she says it that sounds a little off. Like a line she’s practiced and reciting.

You frown. “Well, you can’t spend another night out without protection. You could get killed.”

“Don’t exactly have a lot of options,” she shrugs, avoiding your eyes. Maybe she’s lied to you a little, but that part sounds true to you. If nothing else, the zero over her head confirms it.

So it only takes a second of thought before you make up your mind. “Look, I don’t live around here either, but I know someone who does. He’s an elementary school nurse - I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you spend the night at his place with me.”

She blinks, then narrows her eyes. “Excuse me? You don’t even know me, and I sure as hell don’t know you. Maybe it’d be safer to take my chances with demons.”

“C’mon, you don’t really think that, do you? If I didn’t want to help, I wouldn’t have gotten involved.” Her suspicion doesn’t change, and you think to offer, “How about this? I’ll show you the place, introduce you to him, and then you can make up your mind. If something feels off to you, you don’t even have to go inside. No pressure!”

She doesn’t say anything for a while, but her expression changes a little. There’s something under the suspicion, you can see it now. Almost a kind of want. Finally, she says, little more than a mutter, “...You don’t know if your friend’s really gonna be okay with this. I don’t want to put him out or anything.”

“Trust me,” you grin, “He’s not the kind of guy who’d turn anyone away. I guarantee you, he’ll gripe and fuss the whole time, and then _insist_ you take the futon while us guys will be more comfortable on the floor anyway.”

She snickers a bit, and at last you see something like a smile on her face. “Fine, I know when I’m beat. I’ll at least check it out.” She lifts her head to look you in the eyes, red hair falling in her face. “I’m Haru. Guess you should at least know that if I’m gonna be spending the night.”

You grin, “I’m Gin. Nice to meet you.”

And that’s when you see it. The number over her head changes from a zero to a one.

Can it really be that simple? Is it enough to pay attention and be determined, and you’ll be able to raise your own number tomorrow, like you raised her’s?

A kind of pride blooms in your chest. That must be it, if Shirou (no, Loki, that's who he is now) and his group managed to do it too. There’s no reason to give up or turn a blind eye to anything anymore. You’re not going to give up without trying.  And, you think, glancing at Haru again before you start showing her the way to Kaido’s apartment, you’re not going just to worry about yourself either. From now on, you’ll keep yourself, and her, and as many people as you can alive. No matter what.


	5. Day 1, part 3

“Now, explain to us what’s going on,” Amane says, no room for argument in her voice. You rub at your eyes and try to calm down. How could you have been so stupid about this? Could you have screwed it up any worse? You feel sick, and the heat only makes it worse, and you try to figure out what to say. How to say it without getting defensive and shouting because you know there’s no one to blame but you and-

“Geeze Amane, tone it down a little, would ya?” Loki pipes in leaning an elbow on her shoulder. “Pretty sure you dropped the temperature like ten degrees with that glare.”

You both jump - you’d almost forgotten he was there - and when her eyes go from you to him, it feels like an opening. You swallow the lump in your throat and say, “Look, I really didn’t mean to keep it a secret.” Once you start, it’s easier to keep going, even if you still can’t quite meet her gaze when she looks back to you. “It’s hard to find a way to bring up seeing floating numbers over peoples’ heads, you know? And since no one else was seeing them, at first I kind of hoped they would just go away on their own.”

“But they didn’t.” Amane prompts.

“No. And then this morning...” You hesitate, oddly almost feeling like you’re tattling. “Well, Kazuya sent me an e-mail explaining them. They’re called Death Clocks - if someone has under ten days to live, it counts down how many they have left.”

Loki snickers. “And they’re called ‘death clocks’? Not very subtle.”

“Well, _I_ didn’t name them,” you say, though you don’t really see what’s so wrong with an upfront name. You glance down towards your laptop bag, COMP safely stored inside. “I’m not sure how, but I’m certain it’s linked to the Laplace Mail’s predictions. You might’ve guessed already, but our number was zero this morning, so when I saw that three people would be killed...”

Amane’s eyes widen with understanding. When she speaks again, her voice has lost the terse edge. “Even so... why didn’t you tell us, if it was something so important? We had no idea what you were thinking this whole morning.”

“How _could_ I bring it up?” You draw in on yourself, crossing your arms and avoiding her eyes, “Especially after not saying anything before. And with only my word that they existed, I thought... I thought it’d just sound like I was making excuses not to fight.”

Excuses like you’re making now. You don’t say that, and neither does she, but you tighten your arms around you anyway.

“Naoya,” she says, and there’s something gentle in her voice that grates at you, “I’m not mad, exactly, but-” you almost flinch at that, snap back that you don’t care if she is, it isn’t like you’re scared of it “- we need to all be on the same page. It’s too dangerous to keep secrets like this. If you know something we don’t, you _have_ to tell us so we can all understand what’s going on.”

You keep yourself still and swallow back the sharp words. Remind yourself she’s not trying to condescend. She’s not like that - she doesn’t think she’s better than anyone. But you also know, and she knows too, that if _she’d_ been the one to get the e-mail, this wouldn’t have been an issue at all. Why did Kazuya even bother sending it to you? He should’ve known better.

“You said that our numbers were zero this morning, right?” Loki interrupts again, and you feel pathetic for being grateful, “But we beat the Wendigo. What are they now?”

You take a breath before turning to him. “Two. They changed right after the fight.”

He cocks his head, “Gotcha. And Gin wants to know about changing his own number, right? Hey, Gin, what’s-” He starts to turn back to where his friend had been standing, and it’s only now you realize that the other boy is gone. You feel a not-quite guilty twinge of relief. Loki blinks, baffled. “What the hell? You weren’t talking that long...”

Amane frowns, and looks a little ashamed. “We did ignore him, though... it looks like we all owe him an apology now.”

“If we’re gonna give him one, it’ll have to be tomorrow,” you say, “He only had a day left.”

Even Loki looks surprised at that. But when he speaks, it’s with a grin. “Looks like we’ll get to play hero then! That should make up for blowing him off today.”

Loki’s cavalier attitude is far from new. But there’s still something about seeing him being so carefree about someone he used to be friends with that makes you... almost uneasy. Especially if they were as close as he’s intimated.

...Well. You guess it’s not really that big of a deal. It’s not like he’s saying you all shouldn’t bother, or anything like that. But you’d still rather change the subject than keep lingering. “Anyway, I didn’t bring it up when we had our own problems to deal with, but since we’re still alive, there _is_ someone we should probably try to help today.”

Amane looks back up at you. “Who?”

“Dolly. She had a zero, like us.” You wait a second to give Amane the chance to be upset, but she just waits for you to continue. “The Laplace Mail didn’t mention anything, so I can’t say what’s gonna happen. But there’s still a lot of daylight left, we can at least try to find her.” Amane nods, the picture of focus and determination.

There, you think with some relief, _that’s_ something you managed to do right, at least.

 

* * *

 

It was Loki’s suggestion to look through gathering spots first. After all, Dolly was still giving performances despite (or because of) the circumstances, and it seemed likely that she’d gravitate towards busy areas to reach more people. You’d all passed by the park earlier, and there’d already been people starting to crowd together. By now, it was starting to look something like a campsite, with stragglers clumped together everywhere talking and complaining about the current situation.

“I don’t hear any music,” you say, scanning the area for any sight of the same rowdy audience that you’d seen at that last show. You don’t see that, but you do spot an especially dense cluster of people towards the center of the park. “Look, over there, there’s something going on anyway.”

“We better check,” Amane says, already heading towards it, “She might have just finished, if there’s nothing playing.”

But you don’t have to push through the crowd to know that it isn’t Dolly that everyone’s listening to. By the time you’re a few feet away you can hear a man’s voice clearly, and though you don’t recognize it, Amane’s reaction is all you need to understand. You guess you should have expected the Shomonkai to be preaching. They set this all up, after all - it’d be pointless if they didn’t get any converts out of it.

He spouting some bullshit about the tower of Babel, and you put a hand on Amane’s shoulder to lead her away. “C’mon, it’s not her, we should just look somewhere else.”

“No way, that’d be a waste!” Loki says, cutting the two of you off, “Just look at how many people there are around here! Odds are _someone’s_ seen her. We should ask around before we go anywhere else.”

That makes sense, but you can still hear Amane’s father speaking and hesitate. After a second, she shakes her head and says, “He’s right.” There’s something closed off in her voice, but she keeps going. “If we just run around blindly, we might never find her. Getting information is the best way to proceed.”

You don’t argue. If she’s willing to stick around, then you’ll respect that. Even so, no reason to hang around closer to the Shomonkai than you have to. The three of you wind up branching out a little to talk to as many people as possible. But as make your own round through the park, you can’t quite manage to approach anyone. Everyone’s in groups and talking amongst themselves already, and you don’t know how to break into something like that. And you can already see the weird looks you’ll get for barging in on a conversation to ask about a pop idol. Even if someone knew, they wouldn’t tell _you_.

Neither Loki or Amane have any such problem, though. You wind up hanging back a little to let them try and get any information they can without you drawing unwanted attention. Instead, you keep idly glancing through the crowd. You’re not really looking for anything in particular, but keeping an eye on things makes you feel a little less on edge. Almost like you’ve got a handle on things. Most of the numbers you see are sixes, too, and that’s a little comforting. No immediate danger, then.

...Actually, have you seen any number higher than a six since yesterday? You’d been so distracted by your own group, you hadn’t noticed. And when you were worried about a zero, even a six looked like a luxury. But now that you were thinking about it, and seeing the waves of sixes with your own eyes, it hits you that every single person here has less than a week to live.

You feel light-headed all of a sudden. You look around to see where Amane or Loki have wandered off to, to tell them what you’ve realized, but you don’t see them. Just rows and rows of unfamiliar faces. Did they get farther away than you’d realized? You shut your eyes, try to keep your breathing under control. You just- just have to calm down. Don’t get so worked up over nothing.

The refrain you usually use feels ridiculous now. An entire city being wiped out in six days is nothing. You almost laugh.

“Excuse me,” someone says to you, and you open your eyes to a member of the Shomonkai smiling in a vaguely concerned way. “You seem lost. Could you perhaps spare a moment?”

You let out a shaky breath and answer, “No. Go away.”

Her smile falters a bit, but she chooses to double-down instead of taking the hint. “It won’t take long,” she says, putting a hand on your arm, “The Shomonkai simply wishes to-”

“I already said _no_ ,” you snarl, yanking yourself away. Now _that_ makes her recoil. Good. You don’t want to deal with this, on top of everything else. You try looking for Amane and Loki again. They can’t have gone too far, right?

Before you can spot them, another member of the Shomonkai comes over, putting a hand on the follower’s shoulder. “That’s enough. Being too forceful will only drive them away,” she says, and it took a second to recognize her in daylight, but the voice hasn’t changed. She’s the girl from the cemetery. Yuzu Tanikawa.

Her eyes flicker up to meet your’s, and as her follower moves along, she takes her place in front of you. “As I expected, we meet again. I am pleased to find you well.”

You don’t like the way she’s talking. There’s a familiarity there, despite how formal her speech is. Why should she care how you’re doing at all? You try to remember that do you owe her. All three of you do. “Yeah, I guess we have your spell to thank for that.”

“It’s simply part of being the Shomonkai’s maiden,” she answers, though there’s a bit of a lilt to it that sounds pleased. “Though it would be remiss to overlook your own abilities as Demon Tamers. You owe as much to your COMPs as you do to me.”

Hmph. For her talk about not pressuring people, she still isn’t leaving you alone. But she seems easier to deal with than another recruiter. Maybe you can find something out from her. You cross your arms and ask, “You do know about the COMPs, then?”

She looks up, and confesses easily, “Of course. The Shomonkai had them commissioned.” That catches you off-guard. You had expected to have to pull it out of her, or one of her followers. But you barely have time to think that when she says something that hits even harder. “I would have thought Kazuya told you.”

You nearly jump out of your skin at the name. “You- wait, you know Kazuya?”

“Yes. He worked with us to develop the program.”

You don’t think about your answer. You just explode.

“ _That’s bullshit!_ ” A gut reaction to her words, to the idea, to the possibility that Kazuya could have made something like this. That he could have been lying to you about something so basic for so long. That he’d lie for the purpose of endangering all these people for- for _what_? “There’s just no way!” You settle on that, on the easiest thing to deny. “He couldn’t do this, he’d have no idea what he was doing. You’re either lying or you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She doesn’t flinch at your shouting. She simply answers, “I do not lie, Naoya Minegishi. And I know far more than you do about the creation of the COMPs. Kazuya Minegishi came to the Shomonkai and developed the program with us.”

You’re about to start yelling some more, when her words sink in and give you pause. You hear whispering from some of the nearest groups, feel their eyes on you. Loki says your name from behind. No, it’s okay. You’re fine. You only have one other thing to ask. “...He developed it with you? Then you saw him work on it?”

“He did much of the work on his own.” The way she says it sounds like a boast. “But the Shomonkai duplicated and refined it.”

And there it is. Not a full understanding, no, but enough of one to grasp the shape of the missing information. You take a step back from Yuzu. “That’s it. I can’t listen to this any more,” you say, turning back to Loki and Amane. “Let’s go.”

Yuzu starts to say something, stop you perhaps, but your friends don’t wait to hear it and neither do you. Once you’re all out of the park and into an empty street, Amane says, quiet and full of ice, “Then Kazuya... he’s been working with the Shomonkai for some time now.”

“Guess he wasn’t making up that programming thing after all,” Loki says, nudging you a bit, “Some faith you had in him.”

You shake your head. “I don’t think it’s like that. No, _listen_ ,” you say as you see Loki start to roll his eyes, “Yuzu said it herself. He didn’t do a lot of work with the Shomonkai. He did most of it on his own time.”

“And?”

“So that means no one actually saw him as he worked on it. I think he’s working with someone on this.”

She raises an eyebrow at you. “You think he lied to the Shomonkai? But why even bother, why not let his partner work with them directly?”

“I don’t know exactly...” You pause, trying to figure out how to word your suspicion. “I think maybe he wanted to be seen working with them.”

“...By who? Us?”

“Maybe. Can’t be sure yet, but...” You glance up at the sky, and the sun starting to dip, and curse under your breath, “Now’s not the time to debate it, that can wait until after we find Dolly. But, see, this whole time I’ve been wondering why Kazuya would bring us here. If he knew what would happen, why give us these COMPs to protect us when he could have just not told us to come?” You shake your head. “That’s not the right line of thinking. I should have been wondering what’s going on here, specifically, that’s so important that we _have_ to be here despite the danger.

“And there _is_ something going on. I don’t know it it’s because of the demons, but I haven’t seen anyone in this Lockdown with longer than six days to live.”

Neither Amane or Loki say anything to that, but you can see the gears turning behind their eyes. There’s a spark of thrill at the prospect to Loki, but Amane grows more grim. Like she’s coming to a realization of her own.

“Anyway,” you say, with a sigh, “Sorry, I kind of made you both leave... did you find anything?”

Loki nods, “Yep! One of the girls I talked to mentioned seeing Dolly performing over in Shinagawa not long ago. It's a pretty decent lead.”

With a more pressing worry, the greater issue has to be set aside. You’re relieved for that, at least. As much as you try to mitigate it to yourself, it’s undeniable that your cousin’s been hiding far more from you than you could have imagined. And even now, you’re just starting to scratch the surface of it. It’s just not something you’ll be able to avoid, you know that, but for now you’re all too willing to put it off just a little longer.

 

* * *

 

It takes another half-hour to reach Shinagawa, and once there it doesn’t take long for you to spot the guy who had been helping Dolly out before. _Then_ you take note of the building he’s hanging around. He doesn’t look like a member of the Shomonkai, but despite that you have to roll your eyes and admit you shouldn’t be surprised to have found him around their headquarters. They’ve been involved in everything else to do with this lockdown so far, why should this be any different?

Despite this, Amane doesn’t hesitate to approach him, and asks, “Hello. Pardon me, but you were with Dolly earlier, right?”

He startles a little, then eases into a slightly-distracted smile. “Yes, I remember you. You were at one of her shows this morning- Miss Kuzuryuu, isn’t it?”

“Just Amane is fine, thank you,” she says, giving a quick, polite bow of her head. “And yes. Do you know where she might be? I was hoping to see her again, if it’s not too much trouble.”

He turns towards her completely, tilting his head a little. “Why are you looking for her?”

“Actually-”

“She was too shy to ask for an autograph before,” Loki supplies, slinging an arm around Amane’s shoulders, “So she was hoping to get one while she still had a chance. The lockdown could end any minute, you know, this may be her one shot for who knows how long!”

The guy laughs a little. “I see. Sorry if I sounded suspicious - some of her fans can be a bit, ah, difficult to deal with. But you don’t seem like that kind, she’ll probably enjoy getting the chance to talk again.” He stops to think, “I’m not sure where she is exactly, but we didn’t split up very long ago. She should be around here somewhere.”

“Perfect, thanks!”

You can’t think of a tactful way to ask, but you don’t let that stop you. “Are you interested in the Shomonkai?”

His eyes flick to you, and his mouth tightens. “Not in joining them, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“That's cool, thanks again for the help,” Loki says, pushing you along so you can’t probe further. You want to grumble, but the sun is starting to set and you have to admit you’ve got to stick to your priorities. Without the streetlights, you’re not sure how well you’d be able to search for her once the sun sets.

At last, though, you all manage to catch a break. Just two blocks down, you hear singing coming from an open lot. Looks like there was some construction being done before the lockdown, but now it’s deserted and full of abandoned machinery and material. Dolly is singing by herself. Without all the loud, upbeat music that comes with all the songs of her’s you’ve heard, you can understand better why she’s so popular. Her voice is better than you’d realized- strong and clear, and something in it that’s gripping and makes it hard to tune out.

It’s distracting enough that, at first, you almost don’t notice the demons. But they crawl out of the corners, from behind the machinery and abandoned bricks and scaffolding, in numbers too big to miss.

“ _There it is!_ ” A nearby Bilwis cackles, “ _Power for our master!_ ”

“Ehh? Now?” Dolly pouts for a second, before brandishing a grin and something that looks like a keyboard out in front of her, “Interrupting my practice means special punishment, you know!” She taps on the buttons. Nothing happens. “Wha- oh come on!” She taps again, faster and more desperately, “Don’t die on me now!”

You don’t wait another second - your COMP’s already out by the time Amane’s is.

Even without checking the COMP’s data, you already know none of the demons here can hold a candle to the Wendigo’s power. You recognize most of the species as ones you’ve already fought or owned, and even the new ones have a similar feel to their strength. But their numbers are enough of a problem on their own. Dolly’s at the far side of the lot, but the demons are between you and her. Not good - you’re too heavy for Moh Shuyuu to carry all the way there, and with the horde in between Amane’s Waira can’t make a straight shot to her.

She tries anyway, speeding through in a zig-zagging pattern to avoid a hit- but another Waira cuts her off and forces a fight. You grit your teeth and let your Moh Shuyuu help you get as close to her as you can. You find up pretty much stuck in the middle of it all.

You start to call Amane’s name, let her know she’s got someone taking care of her back, but get cut off by Dolly gasping, “Oh! You’re the girl from before!”

Amane doesn’t hesitate, just dispatches her opponent as quickly as she can with her own magic and Pixie, and calls out, “Just wait right there, I’ll be over to help you soon!”

Your close enough to see her Pixie perch her elbows on top of Amane’s head. “Hmm, a bit too tall for you, isn’t she Master? And _much_ too gangly.”

You roll your eyes - at least your demons aren’t so obnoxious - and check behind you. Loki’s still stuck at the rear, but he’s got his hands full with the fringe demons. No more are getting anywhere near you. And while you’re too surrounded to get any closer to Dolly, your Moh Shuyuu’s Ice Dance cuts most of the demons off, leaving you and your Kobold to pick off the ones frozen by it. And those that power forward despite the ice are met with lightning and wind from Amane’s team.

It’s almost a shock, how smoothly the fight is going. The battle for raising your own number had been brutal. It’d felt insurmountable. But you don’t feel that at all here - this is a fight you can win. Even when your Kobold gets hit with a lucky strike and has to retreat to the COMP, you don’t flinch or start to doubt.

Somehow, it feels strange. Is it because it’s a fight with someone else’s life on the line, and not your’s, that you feel this confident? Or it it because it really is just a simple battle, not worth mentioning by the Laplace Mail? Maybe it doesn’t matter which it is.

Amane’s Pixie knocks the last demon from it’s place on the scaffolding where it planned to pounce, and your Moh Shuyuu freezes and shatters it. And with the fight over, you’re greeted with enthusiastic applause.

“Wow! I didn’t know there were other Demon Tamers around here too!” Dolly laughs, running up each of you to trap you in a thorough hand-shaking, “You guys were amazing! Just like a team of heroes on TV.”

You yank your hands as soon as you can, though she doesn’t seem to notice, as say, “Other demon tamers? Then you-”

“Uh huh, I can do it too. Or, could at least.” She holds out her keyboard - no, now that you can get a good look at it, it’s a sequencer. “This is what I use, though, not a COMP like that.”

Amane takes a hard look at it. “Did... you happen to get it from an older man?”

“Oh, no, no! I got it from Aya. I bet you know who she is, don’t you?” She beams at Amane.

“She was the other singer in D-Va, when you were a duo.”

“That’s right! She lent me this before she went overseas. Sure got a shock the first time I used it.” She laughs, and you share a skeptical look with Amane. But if Dolly notices, she doesn’t say anything. Just winks and holds a finger up to her lips, “But this is our secret! No one should know the magical Dolly is going around summoning demons, my agent would pass out if he heard.”

Loki says, “I don’t know about that - a Demon Tamer idol would grab headlines for sure! A shame your partner didn’t show it off before.”

She pulls the sequencer close to her chest, looking down at it wistfully. “Hm, I guess. But still, since it’s her’s, I can’t go blabbing about it behind her back. Anymore than I have, I guess.” She looks up and almost seems pleading when she says, “You guys understand, right?”

Amane cuts off Loki as he looks ready to tease some more. “Don’t worry, we won’t say anything. Just please try to stay in safer areas, Dolly.”

“It’s okay, just Midori is fine! After all, you guys saved my life- I’d say that gives you the right to call me by name.”

Amane smiles a little. “Alright, Midori.”

 

* * *

 

You have more questions - a lot more, really, especially about Aya - but Midori doesn’t wait to hear them. As soon as she’s done passing another round of thanks for the help, she just dashes off in the direction you’d last seen her friend. You almost think to make her stay, but her Death Clock’s gone up to a two. Same as your own. Maybe it’s a coincidence, but you get a feeling you’ll have another chance to run into her before too long.

The three of you briefly look around for shops with food left and consider trying to find Gin, but it’s already getting dark. It’d be safer to just head back to the park once you’ve got something to eat, find somewhere you can spend the night, and try tomorrow morning.

You know there isn’t a lot of choice in what places are safe, but honestly you really don’t want to sleep around a lot of people. You’re not sure you even can. Amane and Loki are one thing, and they’re still kind of difficult to get comfortable with. But trying to sleep with dozens, if not hundreds, of people you don’t know or trust surrounding you? Just thinking about it makes you shudder. Especially since you made that stupid scene earlier.

But with a stroke of luck, you manage to find a nearly-empty rain shelter. Only ‘nearly’ empty due to a couple of demons crawling around. But while two of them would probably be enough to scare off normal people, they’re not a match for the three of you. Afterwards, you find a COMP abandoned in the corner of the shelter. You guess that explains why there’s demons hanging around so close to a bunch of the Shomonkai... with a bit of a sigh, you stick it in your laptop bag for now. Better not to leave it lying around where someone else could make another mistake with it.

“Well, that’s one day down, at least,” you say, before sliding against the wall down to the floor. Loki plops down next to you.

“And we’ve got a plan for tomorrow,” he says, “That’s more than we had yesterday! We know a lot more too.” He pauses, considers. “Well. We know _some_ more, anyway.”

Amane sits on the bench, resting her chin in her hand, “Speaking of which, Naoya - what you mentioned before. Are you sure there’s no one with any number higher than a six?”

“Positive,” you nod. “Everyone I’ve seen in the lockdown has a Death Clock, and none go any higher than that.”

“Is that why you’re convinced there’s something more to this than just the demons and the Shomonkai?”

“Part of it, yeah. I mean, if it were just demons, I have no idea why it’d be the same for everyone. They aren’t going around attacking people methodically, they’re just picking them off here and there. It doesn’t seem like their style to even be organized enough that they could wipe everyone out all at once.”

“So, the Shomonkai,” Loki says, looking up at Amane, “What’s their end-game? If they’re one of those cults that thinks mass suicide is the way to paradise, maybe they’re responsible for killing everyone.”

Amane shakes her head firmly. “No, that’s not part of the doctrine at all. Father believed that God would place an ordeal on mankind, to punish us for our arrogance in overcoming the destruction of Babel. His goal was always to empower humanity, so they could face and survive that ordeal.” She leans back against the wall of the shed. “It seems demons were his tool of choice for that.”

“So if Kazuya buys into that, is he trying to face down God with all this?” He bursts into a peal of giggles. “He’s ambitious, gotta give him that!”

“Well if that’s the case, he had to have screwed it up pretty badly for the government to find out and set this all up,” you mutter. “But I’m not sure we can just assume that he does believe the Shomonkai completely. After all, if he believes they’re right, then why isn’t he working with them right now? We haven’t seen him anywhere near them this whole time. And he hid his partner from them too.”

You can see Amane and Loki aren’t quite convinced by your belief Kazuya isn’t working alone, but they don’t push it. Amane just asks, “What else could it be, then?”

“You said it yourself; he definitely got the government to notice,” Loki adds in, “Maybe that was one purpose. He might have some kind of protest or rebellion in mind.”

You try to imagine Kazuya overthrowing the Japanese government. You try to remember Kazuya ever saying _anything_ about politics in any kind of detail. “Even if that were it,” you say, coming up blank, “Isn’t there a better way to do that than throwing a bunch of demons into a city?”

“Hey, we still don’t know if the COMPs are really behind _all_ the demons, you know. Midori could summon them with a sequencer, so it’s not a stretch to think other people might have their own methods too,” he says. “If that’s the case, Kazuya really might have worked on the COMPs to fight against them. Who knows! Maybe he made them to make the government acknowledge demons, and it just backfired?”

“That’s a pretty optimistic view of him,” Amane says, raising an eyebrow. “And why get us involved if he knew things were going wrong?”

Your discussion goes around in a circle for a couple of hours as you all continue throwing ideas at each other, but nothing pieces together very well. Whether Kazuya was reacting to a problem or creating one, whether the Shomonkai’s ideas had any credibility, if he planned for the lockdown or it was an accident... there’s too little to go off of. The best you can all agree on is that tomorrow, once you’ve taken care of helping Gin, you’ll start really looking into the Shomonkai and the lockdown itself more thoroughly. Though you admit you don’t have much hope for the latter - it’s hard to imagine any of the troops stationed around the area would be very willing to chat with a group of high school students.

By the time you all agree to set the issue of Kazuya aside for the night, it’s pitch black out. It’s decided that you’ll sleep in shifts, since there’s no barrier around tonight, and even weaker demons could do some damage if they managed a surprise attack.

You volunteer for the first shift. You don’t think you can sleep very well right now anyway.

As you settle down outside the door to the shelter, your COMP buzzes. A new e-mail from Kazuya.

_[Sorry, there’s too much going on during the day for the e-mail function to work well outside of automated messages from the server. You’ll have to settle for using it at night!_

_That said, I do hope you’ll try reaching out to as many people as you can while you’re here. I know humans are difficult at the best of times, though, so I may be asking a lot. Just keep your options open, and I’ll leave it at that! And remember it’s alright to let your friends take over if you get overwhelmed. Make sure to keep them in the loop on what you’re thinking - can’t expect them to always understand if you don’t, after all._

_I’ll see you soon, Naoya. Until then - good luck!_ ]

You gape at the audacity of that message, and finally hiss “I don’t want that lecture from _you_ ,” at your screen. You start a response, but you can’t get more than a few words into it before you wind up deleting them and restarting. Seeing the letters appear on the screen makes your words feel inconsequential. Not big enough for what you’re feeling. If you really are going to see him soon, you’ll just have to tear into him properly then.

Still. You pull your knees up to your chest and cross your arms over them, and think about how he looked when you last saw him. How tired and stressed he looked. Maybe Loki’s right, that the lockdown was a mistake and he screwed up letting you all get involved.

Or maybe that's just wishful thinking on your part.

Silently, you go back to your e-mail. Re-read the few messages he sent you. Hope faintly that if you do, eventually they’ll make some kind of sense.


	6. Day 1 - Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very sorry for the wait! Between work complications and a new kitten, I've had to put writing on the back-burner for a while. Things should be getting back to normal now, though, and I hope you'll enjoy this short intermission while I work on overhauling the first part of Day 2!

Somehow, your base in the warehouse has remained untouched all day. Most of the people trapped have gravitated towards either friends’ residences or the park, no one’s looking around seemingly-abandoned buildings. At least not yet. There’s still a sense of needing to cooperate among groups, but if the lockdown doesn’t let up soon, that’s going to fall apart. Some of the Daemons are already starting to squabble amongst themselves over what your next step should be. None of them have approached you about it yet, but you can hear them quite clearly regardless.

You don’t blame them for feeling restless. There’s other gangs in the city already, and you expect more to cobble themselves together as leaders start to emerge amongst the crowds. You’d like to keep helping as many who are struggling as possible, but it’s hard to say how long it’ll be feasible. Doing anything to escalate the tension in the city should be avoided, for everyone’s sake, but you know that isn’t up to you. You can’t control everyone in the lockdown.

For what’s surely the hundredth time, you turn the COMP over in your hand again. It looks perfectly normal from any direction. You almost wonder if what you’d seen earlier had been some kind of trick.

Almost. But there’s a cut on your arm that you’ve left to remind yourself of the reality.

The bickering shows no signs of slowing, but when you stand your men all go quiet. “I’m going out to make another round,” you say, letting a bit of ice into your voice, “If you manage to settle this before I get back, please, _do_ let me know.” No one tries to argue with you. Some even look embarrassed. At least here, none of the frustrations have evolved into a challenge for authority. If anything, they seem more willing to listen and let you lead them.

You just have to stay steady, stay calm. If you look like you have no doubts, then they’ll believe it of you. It’s what they _want_ to believe.

It’s long past midnight, and the evidence of a coming sunrise is already showing in the sky. The stars are disappearing, giving way to a murky indigo and almost smoke-like hints of red. Maybe it’s too early to go waking up Tadashi, but you didn’t have time to check in on him during the day. There’s too many people who need to be taken care of in times like these, and you knew he’d at least have his apartment to retreat to.

You rub at your temples, grateful for the deserted streets. The Daemons may be respected by the locals, but there’s countless outsiders trapped in here too now. You’re going to have to make sure of your priorities and how much you’re willing to compromise before public opinion turns. And it will.

Even among the Daemons, there’s so many people to take care of. You wonder what he’d be willing to do. How far Hisashi would have gone for them.

You turn your thoughts back towards the COMP, pulling it out of your pocket to examine again.

You hadn’t imagined it, and it hadn’t been a trick. A demon emerged from this machine, a game small enough to fit in your hand.

It hadn’t really been a life-threatening fight, not once the shock had given way to self-preservation, but you know that was as much a matter of luck as your own skill. There’d been a metal pipe nearby you were able to fight with, and there hadn’t been any other people around who might have distracted you. Certainly it had surprised you, but you’d surprised it just as much. It had been expecting prey, not an opponent.

And now the COMP and demon were both yours, according to the System Mail. And though you hadn’t seen anything with your own eyes yet, there’d been rumors all day about monster sightings. And even before you’d gotten your own COMP, you’d been wondering something.

You pause as you reach Tadashi’s apartment, and look up towards his window. No lights were on, but you could see a bit of movement. _Someone_ was up, anyway. You decide you may as well try, and head up to knock on the door.

The response is almost immediate. “Mari?” Tadashi asks before the door’s even halfway open, “The hell are you doing here so late? Did something happen?”

“I’d say it’s more ‘early’ than ‘late’ at this point,” you say. “And I just came to check up on you. I’m sure yesterday hadn’t been any easier on you.”

His frown deepens, perhaps noticing your dodge of his question. Then he sighs, and looks over his shoulder. “You’ve got that right. Now there’s _two_ brats camping out here. I’m gonna wind up overrun with them at this rate.”

You can’t help but laugh a little. “I suppose saying 'no' isn't an option?”

He drops his eyes and mutters something under his breath, which makes you chuckle a bit too, but when that goes so does any idea of what to say next. Especially since, now that he’s started looking away, he seems uncomfortable about looking back at you. You can feel your smile starting to strain. Finally, you give up and just say, “Well, I should be getting back. I don’t want to keep you up.”

“No, it’s-” He turns back to you too quickly, floundering for words, “I don’t- I mean, do you want to come inside or something? I’m already up, it’s fine-”

You shake your head. “No, it’s alright. I do need to finish my rounds. I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright.” You want to... oh, you don’t know. Something silly and childish, like ruffling his hair or giving him a hug. Something he’d be rightfully embarrassed by. You give him a quick wave instead. “Try and stay out of trouble tomorrow, I have a feeling it’s only going to get worse.”

He closes his mouth, looking frustrated, until he just rolls his eyes. “I’m not a kid, you don’t have to tell _me_ that.” Then he glances at your other hand. “What’ve you got there?”

You look down at it too, almost surprised you’d forgotten to put it away. “Oh, it’s a COMP. I just found it lying around earlier - someone must have dropped it in all the commotion.” You tilt your head, holding it out to him. “Why, did you lose one?”

He shakes his head. “No, that’s not it - I think Gin has one too, it just reminded me of that.” He doesn’t touch it, but he still looks a little uncertain. Almost wary. “He doesn’t seem to be doing much with it, though.”

“Not much you _can_ do with no internet and no cell power.”

“Well no shit, but...” He pauses, and yes, you’re sure he’s wary now. “It shouldn’t be good for anything right now, but he keeps it powered anyway. Even got one of those hand-crank chargers from Kyou. I don’t think he’s ever just put it down somewhere either, it’s always in his pocket or his hands. It’s pretty damn weird.” _Now_ he looks back up at you. “Mari, is something-”

“There’s nothing going on that you need to worry about.” You smile, pocketing the COMP and ending the conversation. “Just look after your people, and I’ll look after mine. And try to get some more sleep.”

And that does hurt him, it’s all over his face. He starts to bristle, to protest, but you’ve already turned and headed back towards the street.

It’s cruel, maybe, to be trying to put as much distance between him and the Daemons as possible. He’s known them all for years too, nearly as well as you and Hisashi. But right now, with things as dangerous as they are, he has no place there.

Especially if... well, you don’t want to jump to conclusions, but if what he said about his student is right, then it’s not exactly a stretch. Other people having COMPs that can summon demons needs to be something you’re prepared to face. And not just that. If demons are running around on their own...

You don’t need to try to remember. The images are always in the back of your mind. Hisashi, right where he asked to meet. Body mangled and wasted, blood drained away until he hardly even looked human anymore. Fingernails torn like he’d been clawing at something with everything he had. Still right where he said. Still waiting for you.

...If demons are running around, whether free or controlled by humans, then your decision is easy. You don’t care what you have to do yourself, what you’ll have to stoop to. You’re not going to lose a single person to them, ever again.


	7. Day 2, part 1

“I think it was dropped more in that direction,” Amane says, pointing down the street to your left. You’d all woken up that morning to the sound of helicopters - or at least, you and Loki did, Amane’d had the last shift - and what surprise you’d felt at some kind of aid actually coming was quickly squashed when it was lowered at seemingly random points in the city instead of anywhere near the barricades. Figures, why waste time trying to make anything easier?

The Laplace Mail hadn’t improved your mood either. At least there was one major attack the Shomonkai was actually going to do something about, but from the look of it, preventing the second one is all going to be up to the three of you. Saving fifty people is a tall order but... if you’re honest, you’re way less worried about it than you were the Wendigo attack yesterday. Call it arrogance maybe, but all your numbers  _ are  _ still at 1. And after helping Midori so easily yesterday, you can’t help but feel like the three of you will actually be able to do  _ something _ about it.

No, you’re more worried about making sure you find that Gin guy today. You can’t really say you like him - Loki’s friend or not, you could feel how he was looking at you, and the less time you spend around him the better. But he  _ did  _ help you get a charger for your COMPs, and you like the idea of owing him even less. You asked Loki if he lived nearby, but he had no idea, and there’s no way of knowing if he’d be involved in any of the events the e-mail mentioned. Fifty people’s a lot when you’re responsible for them, but they’re barely a ripple in the sheer number trapped here.

So looks like another day of running around like headless chickens. Great. Just what you need.

Though at least it doesn’t look like you’re the only ones. When you finally spot the supply crate, it’s past an absolute frenzy of people. They’re impossible to count - all you can say for sure is there are way too many, everyone yelling and shoving at each other to get at whatever food they can grab. The chaos is all over the street - even if you wanted to go charging in, you don’t think you’d make it back out without a nice set of bruises. At the very least.

“We should’ve moved faster,” you say, clicking your tongue, “I doubt we’ll be able to get anything like this...”

“Well~ I know one way we can clear out this area, no sweat.” Loki winks, brandishing his COMP.

Before either of you can blink, Amane’s planted herself in front of him, her glare steely enough to almost make you flinch. “Don’t you  _ dare _ .”

He’s still grinning, but holds his hands up in surrender. “C’mon, it was a joke! Lighten up.”

You roll your eyes. “It wasn’t funny.” 

Loki heaves a long-suffering sigh and pockets his COMP. “Yeah, yeah, I got it  _ Mom _ .”

That gets you sputtering out futilely for some kind of retort that won’t lead to another questionable joke. You’re almost grateful when you notice Amane’s wandering off and you can change the subject. “Amane, where are you...?”

“Let’s try around back,” she says simply, “It look like the crate’s only open on one side, considering how dense the crowd is around here.”

It’s as good an idea as any, you guess. And if there were less people, you might be able to get away with blowing another side open with magic or something. Then you could just rush in, grab something, and then rush out again without having to risk getting your eyes clawed out.

As you circle around, you notice there are a couple of people trying to tear at the metal sides to find another opening, but with no real success. You’ll have to use magic then after all - maybe you could melt the screws holding it together. Would electricity work for that? Amane could send her Pixie over to try; it was small enough to not draw much attention, and if anyone did notice they’d be less likely to link it directly to you three. It’d just be one more random monster sighting, but such a small one would be less likely to trigger a panic. As you reach to pull out your own COMP and check if you even  _ can _ call on a demon outside of a battle, Amane turns to the two of you and asks, “Can either of you give me a boost?”

You pause, raising an eyebrow. “...Why?”

“If the SDF isn’t going to do anything, someone should. And I don’t think I can pull myself up on my own.”

You stare at her. She wasn’t actually talking about the box, right? That’d be ludicrous, there’s no way she could see  _ that _ as the best option. But before you can even piece together the words to fully express how utterly terrible this idea is, Loki gives her a salute and grin. “You got it!”

“Wait just a damn-” you try to pull either of them back, but neither pays you any attention. Loki just smoothly hoists Amane up on top of the crate, where she draws herself up to her full height and calls out to the crowd. 

“Everyone, may I have you attention, please?”

Shit, shit,  _ shit _ . You move over to a narrow space between buildings, too small to even be called an alley, where you can get a better look. Most of the people have turned to stare at her - you guess it’s enough of a surprise that they can’t help it - but the atmosphere is no less hostile for it. You try and spot Loki and at least make sure he’s under control, but he’s wandered out of sight already.

Amane keeps speaking, her voice loud and clear in the open area. “Those of you who already have food, I ask you be on your way and make space for the others. Everyone else, please take a few steps back and try to form a line. If we’re all careful and ration out the supplies, everyone will be able to get something.”

“Oi, back off, kid!” One of the men closest to her stands up, fists already tight around the rations he’s won from the squabble. “I haven’t eaten since yesterday morning, I’m not gonna-”

“Everyone here is hungry. We’re all in the same position, there is no sense in fighting over that.” Her voice is perfectly level, but the sympathy is still clear despite her firm stance. Not everyone seems to pick up on it, though, from some of the looks you see people giving each other. “What we need to do is cooperate with one another. That’s the only way to make it through this-” she stumbles over a word, and hastily finishes with, “-this tragedy.”

The people are starting to quiet now. Some even seem guilty, as if just now recognizing each other as human. But not everyone is assuaged, and the man who’s already spoken out definitely is not. “‘Tragedy’? This isn’t some  _ accident _ , we’re trapped in here by our own government!”

Encouraged by him, a woman steps forward too, voice high and shrill. “Yeah! Are we just supposed to sit here and take it? Why  _ shouldn’t _ we be angry?”

Amane doesn’t flinch, and tries to speak rationally, “Being angry with them, and taking that anger out on more victims are two different things-”

“You think I’m gonna sit here and be lectured at by some punk kid?” The man snarls, kicking at the crate hard enough you can hear it shake, and she stumbles a little. You have your COMP out, and hear a few murmurs go up in the crowd, restless and bitter. His hands are on the side looking for purchase - if he finds it, or tries to shake her off again, you don’t care  _ what  _ she’s trying to accomplish. You will get her out of there.

But someone else steps in. An older man, light brown hair and wearing a suit, puts himself between the dissenter and the crate. “You should listen more carefully,” he says, like he’s scolding an elementary school student, “She’s absolutely right, we’re all in the same position here. Fighting is only going to make it worse.”

The guy starts, hesitates, but doesn’t budge and almost growls out, “So now you’re going to start too? Where do you guys get off-”

“Oh, still want to get something off your chest?” Another woman, this one with dark green hair pulled back, steps forward from behind him. Had she even been in the crowd...? You hadn’t noticed her. “Then you should come tell me about it. I’m a reporter, I’ll make sure your concerns are heard loud and clear.” She doesn’t smile, but there’s a taunting lilt to her voice, “Far better than they would be in a story about a grown man losing his head and attacking ‘some kid’.”

_ That _ makes him freeze. Not just him, either, but the woman who spoke up too, and a few more uncomfortable faces in the crowd. After a silent, tense minute, he shoves his hands and what food he’d grabbed into his pockets and stalks off. No one else says anything, and then the man and woman who stepped in to help turn to the crowd. You put your COMP back in your bag, but keep your hand near it. Your heart’s racing. It doesn’t feel quite real that things could change so suddenly. You don’t think you can walk over there just yet.

“Well now, you all heard the young lady,” the man says, “Please form an orderly line, we’ll make sure everyone is able to get something.”

 

* * *

You stay off to the side until most of the crowd’s gotten what they want. They might have calmed down, but that can change all too easily. Especially since, despite Amane’s best efforts, it’s obvious no one’s gotten as much as they wanted. Whether the SDF is deliberately short-changing you all, or if it’s just a matter of poor distribution, the result is the same. Supplies are just too scarce.

No one’s fighting each other anymore. Some are even sharing with people who’ve got kids. But there’s still a strong sense of resentment in the air, and Amane’s  _ here _ while the people who actually deserve it are on the other side of the barricade. You don’t dare take your eyes off the crowd. It’s only when the number of people finally start dwindling down that you approach her.

“That,” you say, voice coming out like a growl in your attempt to keep it steady, “Was stupidly dangerous.”

She stiffens, mouth tightening. “No more than anything else we’ve done recently. And this  _ also _ turned out alright, in the end.”

“That doesn’t somehow make it  _ less  _ dangerous retroactively.” You lower your voice, even if no one seems to be paying attention to you two. “Besides, this  _ was _ different, we both know it. Demons you can get rid of no problem, but somehow I doubt you had any intention of using your COMP against an actual person.”

She tries to hold your gaze, but this time she’s the one to look away without answering. You hit the mark perfectly then. She probably hadn’t planned any kind of escape route if things went bad at all. Thinking about that makes you feel ill. Of course you’d have done something, even if she hadn’t, but it was such a pointless, unnecessary risk...

“I’ll be more careful,” she finally says, soft and almost like a sigh.

“You say that  _ now _ , but-” You trail off, not sure what else you really want her to do. It’s not like you can just say ‘be a less decent human being’. Finally, you just shake your head and finish with, “Never mind.” 

She’s looking at you again, maybe with more pointless concern, but you’re interrupted as the last few people start to leave. The man in the suit who’s been helping her give a small smile as he walks over to say, “I’m quite impressed by the way you handled yourself. Not many people would have been able to step in like that, especially as young as you.”

You stiffen a bit. Was that supposed to be a dig at you? But she just bows her head politely. “Thank you, though I doubt it would have worked without your help. Or her’s either.” She glances back over at the reporter, still taking care of one last dawdler.

“And I may not have done anything if you hadn’t acted first. You can never be sure of that sort of thing.” He bows a bit himself. “My name is Yasuyuki Honda. I hope we’ll be able to help each other in the future as well, Miss...?”

“Amane Kuzuryuu. And this,” she says, gesturing to you, “Is my friend, Naoya, and...” Loki appears suddenly, an arm around your waist as he leans against you.

“You can call me Loki. Pleasure working with you!”

“Ah... yes,” Honda says, sounding a bit bemused at Loki trying to take credit for anything. You’re about to shake him off, when you feel him dropping something into your bag. Several somethings. You give him a look out of the corner of your eye, but his grin stays put. The reporter, finally finished, walks over to join you all.

“I agree with the stiff here. You did good today,” she said, pulling a notepad and pen out of her jacket pocket, “In fact, you did so good, I insist on an interview! How about it?”

“Ah - my apologies, but I really must be going.” Honda sounds polite enough, but he says it too quickly. “Good luck to you all, I hope we’ll run into each other again.” Without waiting to be detained any longer, he heads off towards the barricade.

“Hmph, figures.” She shrugs, and turns to the three of you with renewed focus. “Come on, it won’t take long - I’m doing an expose on the Lockdown, I need as many opinions as I can get.”

You roll your eyes. Surprise, surprise, you’ve got no patience left this morning. “We’ve got our own problems to deal with. Go ask someone else.”

“Ohh, well, how about this?” She says, stepping in front of you as you try to turn and leave, “I have some info on a possible way out. Give me an interview, and I’ll tell you what I know!”

Amane raises an eyebrow. “If you know about an exit, why are you still here?”

“Already told you - I’m trying to write about the lockdown. Best way to get first-hand accounts is here.” Her expression doesn’t change, and it doesn’t exactly feel like a lie. But you can’t believe that’s all.

You share a look with Amane and Loki, and relent. If there’s even a chance of her information being good, you have to take it. You’re not planning on running, but just knowing there’s an escape route would be invaluable. And it’d be way easier to handle people with low Death Clocks if you could just evacuate them.

“Okay, shoot,” Loki says, shifting more upright. “What d’you wanna know?”

It’s shorter than you expected, thankfully, and none of her questions are especially probing. Just where you’d slept last night, what you were frustrated about, things like that. She does seem to appreciate the answers, though, with how diligently she’s taking them down. It can’t be more than ten or fifteen minutes until she snaps the notebook closed and puts it back in her coat pocket.

“Thanks. I’ve been trying to get someone to talk to me since yesterday. Seems like  _ everyone’s _ got their own business to attend to.” She glances in the direction Honda walked off towards and shrugs. “Though I guess I can’t blame anyone for being suspicious of a stranger at a time like this.”

“No sweat! Gotta help each other out, right?” Loki says, leaning towards her with a wink, “So about that help you promised us...”

She smirks a bit. “Yeah, I know - any of you heard about the Akasaka tunnel?”

“Of course,” he says, without so much as blinking, “That rumor’s been around for ages.”

“Well, it’s not just a rumor. There’s definitely a passageway to get down to the subway off the highway. Since normal vehicles can’t use it, it might have been overlooked and left inside the barricade.”

You frown a bit. Doesn’t exactly seem promising to you, but... well, you don’t know how useful the information you gave her was either. You guess it’s fair.

Amane seems to feel the same, sounding a little hesitant when she says, “Thank you, we’ll make sure to take a look.”

“In that case, good luck. Hope you all manage okay.” She waves and starts to walk away, “My name’s Shoji, by the way. In case you find out anything more you want to spread the word on.”

You feel an impulse to shift your bag, and the COMPs inside it, a bit further behind you at the clear expectation on her face. But you resist it, and no one else says anything before she finally disappears around a corner. Loki hums and plops his chin on your shoulder. “So, we gonna check it out now, or later?”

“I think the sooner we know, the better we can plan,” Amane says, “We don’t want to act assuming it’s safe and then get an unpleasant surprise.”

“Yeah, I agree - but before that, where the hell have you been?” You jerk your shoulder up and hear Loki’s teeth whack together with an audible click, before he jolts back off of you.

He rubs at his chin, one eyebrow raised at you. “First of all,  _ rude _ . Second of all!” Aaand back to the smile already. “I could ask you the same thing. I sure didn’t see you doing anything to help out either.” A point you can’t argue. Even you still want to. He just shrugs and waves off your glare with a gesture towards your bag. “But to answer your question - just look.”

Even before you look, you’re half-expecting the food you find in it. It’s not a lot, just some protein bars and a couple of pre-wrapped sandwiches, but it’s all that’s left. You and Amane both stare at him. His grin is absolutely  _ insufferable _ .

“Neither of you even thought to save something for us,” he shakes his head, holding his hands out in a helpless gesture, “ _ Someone _ had to think of the team, and it was all up to me to be that someone. I hope you both appreciate it~”

Amane says, a scold already in her tone, “Where did you-”

“Oh don’t worry about the details! No one’s gonna miss ‘em.” He drapes himself back over you and snatches one of the bars out of your bag. Why didn’t he keep it if he was just going to take it right back...? “So, which way’s Akasaka from here? East, right?”

You share a look with Amane and can see the exact second she decides to gives up on this one. Even if he took them from someone, there wasn’t anyone around to return them to, and even if you bothered to look for someone, anyone you asked would of course say he got it from them just to get extra food. You nod and answer him, “Yeah, I think so. South-east.”

But the three of you only get about a block before you’re stopped again, this time by a middle-aged man. Now it’s just getting annoying. “What do you want?” you snap while he tries to mutter out a question.

He pauses, then stands up straighter, smiling nervously. “W-well, I wouldn’t have bothered, but you were so helpful to all those people... I don’t need food, but I thought, just... maybe you could help me too.” You shoot Amane a look, hopefully getting across every ounce of ‘see what you’ve done’ that is filling your heart. 

She ignores you and asks, “I’m afraid we can’t promise anything, but we’ll hear you out at least. What is it?”

He relaxes all at once and starts speaking more quickly. “Actually, do you remember yesterday? I saw you in the park, you were all asking about Dolly. Did you find her?”

“Well... yes. But why?”

“To be honest, I work for a film company. After seeing one of her street performances, I thought, that girl has true star quality. A natural charisma that’d be just perfect for the screen!” He’s hardly shaking at all now, eyes lit up with excitement as he speaks. “I went straight to my boss about getting her a role in a movie we’ve got on the table. It’s the perfect part for her, and he wants me to speak to her about it as soon as possible. If you know where she is, it would be a  _ huge  _ help.”

“Oh  _ wow _ , a movie?” Loki says, mimicking the man’s eager expression, “What’s it about?”

The man pauses, laughs a little. “S-sorry, that’s confidential. Contracts and all.”

He pouts, “What, you can’t even give us a hint? C’mon, give us the genre at least - is it a romance? She’s cute enough for it. Or maybe a comedy; she was already dropping puns, bet she’d be great. Or the unexpected hero of a horror!”

“Th-that’s... well, it’s-”

You look at Loki, clicking your tongue in disappointment. “You’d think he’d have a pitch ready, if it’s  _ such _ an important project it can’t wait until after the government’s lifted the emergency lockdown.”

“I’m a bit impressed,” Amane says, “To think there was a business still running in this kind of situation. How on earth did you manage with no power at all?”

He’s sweating, wringing the edge of his shirt. “I - I mean, no, we were closed, but I had my cell phone with me, and just ca-”

“Now that is impressive, calling with no cell service!” You say, clapping a bit while he flinches. You wait for him to try and recover, but he doesn’t even try. You scowl, and start to walk past him. “C’mon, there’s no point waiting for another excuse from this creep. We can warn Midori when we see her again.”

“Who do you think you are, acting so self-righteous?”

You barely register the words, or the low hiss they’re spoken in, before you feel a hand on your arm and you’re pulled you back. Forced into his face. Both of his hands are on you, his nails are digging into your skin so deeply you can barely see them. He’s stronger than he looks. Or you’re too stunned to use the strength you need to succeed in pulling out of his grip. It doesn’t matter. What he says next freezes you to your bones.

“You might have been able to trick these two children,” he says,  “But don’t think you’ve fooled me. I  _ know _ .” He leans in closer, close enough you can smell his breath. It’s sour, and too hot on your skin. You try to say something, but the words are clogged in your throat. “Anyone who really looks can see it. And those of us who do, we  _ know _ why you want that girl’s power.” His mouth stretches past a smile, past a grin, so wide it hurts to look at. “You won’t win though. Try all you want, but you’ll nev- _ argh _ !”

In a moment, you realize he’s been knocked over. It takes another to realize Loki kicked his legs out from under him. He’s looking at him on the ground like the guy’s something he found stuck to his shoe. “Solicitors these days! They just don’t know when to shut up.”

Amane steps in front of you too. You start to breath again. When did you stop? You’re not sure. When she speaks, her voice is even harder than her reprimand earlier. “Don’t come near us again. If you do, we’ll figure out some way to turn you in to the police, whatever the circumstances are.”

The man stares up at the three of you, and bursts into laughter. “You’ve got them well-trained, at any rate,” he says. “But it doesn’t matter. You’re nothing compared to  _ my _ master.”

You find your voice now, forcing out, “And just who is-”

But he’s scrambling back, up to his feet again. “No, you won’t trick me, I won’t betray him. Struggle and search as much as you want, it’s pointless!” He turns and bolts off towards a side street. Amane puts a hand on Loki’s shoulder before he can go after him.

“Don’t bother, it’s not worth the time it’d take.” Then she turns back, stepping towards you. “Naoya, are you alright? Did he hurt you?”

She starts to reach for the arm he grabbed, but you pull it back. The thought of being touched by anyone right now has all your nerves on-edge. “It’s nothing,” you say, “I’m fine. It wasn’t anything, really.” 

Amane doesn’t answer, whether to insist or relent. She just... looks at you. Worried, you think. She shouldn’t be. Nothing happened. You’re fine. Nothing that guy said made any sense. It was just... babbling. That’s all.

You take a breath. It helps, a little. “If we don’t have time to go after him, then we definitely don’t have time to stand around like this,” you say, which helps more. “Akasaka Tunnel’s still a ways off.”

“If you’re sure-”

“I am.” You are. Really. You have something to do, way more important than letting yourself get stuck obsessing over an obvious nutcase. You’ve just gotta remember to warn Midori if you see her, and put the rest out of your mind completely. It’s all nonsense anyway.

 

* * *

 

Even without the soldiers, the idea that the tunnel might be ‘safe’ was quickly devastated. The whole area was torn to pieces - asphalt was torn up in chunks, cars were crushed, some barely even resembling what they were supposed to be. Concrete and guardrails were strewn about. And there were still demons crawling all over the place. They hadn’t noticed you yet as you all hid behind some debris, but it was only a matter of time.

“Hey,” you whisper, “I don’t see any soldiers. D’you think they were all-?”

“It’s possible,” Amane says; even from a quick look it’s hard to believe any people could’ve been here and survived the attack.

“Isn’t that lucky, then?” Loki says, “If we just clear out the demons, then we won’t have anything getting in the way of the exit.” You share a look with Amane, and shrug. Not exactly a delicate way to say it, but the point was solid. If there was no sign of the SDF, for whatever reason, then that was an opportunity. 

“Okay,” you say, taking another look at the creatures skulking around, “Then let’s get to work. But let’s keep close and make sure we have an escape route open for ourselves, just in case. I don’t recognize some of these demons, we don’t know how strong they are.”

The two of them nod. The area’s too narrow, with too many obstacles, for much moving around anyway.

There’s enough debris that you’re able to take advantage and surprise a group with your first attacks. But they don’t go down as quickly as you’d have liked, even with all of you targeting them together. Your Kobold tries to pin a Jambavan down, but gets thrown off almost immediately. Fortunately your Moh Shuyuu and Amane’s Bufu freezes it before it can alert anyone, but the pair of Bilwis next to it just shake off the frost. Your Agi does little good to either of them too, and Loki’s Zan does nothing at all.

By the time Pixie paralyzes one with its lightning, the other has already climbed on top of a car and raised the alarm. “ _ More humans! _ ” It shrieks, gleeful, “ _ Over here, over here! _ ” Loki’s Ogre knocks it off with its club and shatters it into light too late. A rustle of wings and claws scraping on the cement draws near, though the angle is too bad to see anything. You pull yourself up onto the car to get a better view, and you can see almost a pack of Garm and Gagyson approaching.

The Garm reach first, though they’re less trouble than they look. They don’t have much resistance to magic - though when your Kobold tries to attack one of them with its own teeth, it goes down fast. You grit your teeth. It was a bad decision to use Kobold - you know it’s been struggling, and you can’t afford to use it  _ just  _ because you contracted it first.

Amane’s Pixie hasn’t left her side either, you notice. It usually zips around throwing lightning like it couldn’t care less, but now it’s hovering near her shoulders, attacking and healing from there. It must know it’s outmatched too. Loki’s Kabuso isn’t acting any different, but when you look more closely, it’s just Loki’s magic that’s doing real damage now.

One of the Gagyson reaches you, perching on the metal arch holding up the sign for the tunnel. You’re shake off your thoughts to focus on something you caught in the corner of your eye. The demon’s carrying a COMP. 

“ _ Pathetic, relying on humans for everything~ _ ” It somehow manages to grin, despite having a beak. “ _ But please, all of you, keep fighting! Struggle and wear yourselves out until you can’t even move, and become sacrifices for our Master! _ ”

The COMP flashes, and another Bilwis appears by its side.

“You guys thinks you can finish off these thing?” You turn to ask, already feeling Moh Shuyuu grabbing you. “I’ll take care of that COMP.” They both nod, and when the Gagyson takes flight, and the Moh Shuyuu lifts you after it. One of the other Gagyson tries to come after you, but Amane hits it squarely with a Zio. 

The demon you’re after is faster - Moh Shuyuu can’t carry you too far like this. But it gets you close enough. You summon Makara, and as if it can read your mind, it coils around the Gagyson, pinning its wings and forcing it to the ground.

It shrieks and, as expected, drops the COMP. You snatch it from the ground before the demon can squirm out of Makara’s grasp. It shrieks, clawing at your demon’s scales desperately, as you blow the COMP to pieces with Agi.

“ _ No! Master Beldr- my Master, I swear, I’ll collect these human lives for you! _ ” It screams, until it devolves into senseless babble as your Makara crushes it until disappears into light.

You look back at Loki and Amane, and the remaining demons. The ones that are left are all panicking and ignoring their demons to aim for them directly. You don’t hesitate to run back, and send your demons ahead to help.

But without anything replenishing their numbers, the end’s in sight. And in the contest of endurance, the three of you stand the winners. As the last Bilwis starts to burn out, it manages to laugh and say, “ _ Don’t think you’ve won yet, humans... our Master is coming, and all who follow him! _ ”

And then, like all the others, it bursts into light and vanishes. 

With the adrenaline of the fight starting to fade, your energy goes right with it. That wasn’t as bad as the Wendigo, but you have to admit you overestimated how prepared you were.

“Everyone okay?” you ask, as Amane’s Pixie casts one last Charm before disappearing back into the COMP.

“Yes, I think so,” Amane says, but she’s looking at the spot the Bilwis disappeared. “‘Master’... what do you think they were talking about?”

“The demon with the COMP mentioned that too. ‘Master Beldr’, I think it said.”

Loki’s head snaps up, blinking. “Beldr? What, like from the myth?”

The look on his face is making you regret saying anything. “Well, I guess, but-”

His eyes widen. You think they’re sparkling. “Guys. You know what this means?” His grin manages, somehow, to get even bigger. “We gotta fight him.  _ I _ gotta fight him.”

You squint at him. “You’re not picking a fight with some kind of boss demon just because of a nickname. Who knows how many demons are working for it?”

“But how can it not be fate? Us being in the lockdown, me taking the place of my namesake to deal a final blow - it’s perfect! Besides,” he says, looking over at Amane, “I bet  _ you’re _ going to say we should. If it’s a strong demon, someone’s gotta make sure it doesn’t hurt anyone. Who else can we expect to do it?”

...Dammit. One look at her face, and you know you’re outnumbered, though she at least tries to protest. “It hasn’t even appeared yet - it seems like a better idea to try and prevent it from being summoned, rather than fighting it afterwards. And if we are going to fight it, we need to take it  _ seriously _ .”

“Yes, yes, I’ll be very careful~”

Amane clears her throat. “In any case, it looks like we’ve got more problems than just that. If demons are capable of using COMPs that easily...”

“Yeah,” you nod, more than willing to change the subject, “Their numbers are going to explode before long. And we don’t even know how many modified COMPs are out there.” Kazuya’s given some away, you know, but it was the Shomonkai’s project. How many were actually commissioned...?  


“Hey! What are you kids doing here?”

The sharp voice, resounding from the tunnel, makes you all jump. A woman with short orange hair, obviously dressed in some kind of military uniform, steps out, shortly followed by an older man in the same outfit. She starts to approach you, but he catches up to hold out an arm in front of her.

“Wait, look at what they’re holding...”

Her eyes widen, and her grip shifts on the gun in her hands. “You think they’re our target, Commander?”

‘Target’. You don’t waste another second once you hear that word. You just grab Amane and Loki’s arm and hiss,  “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

The man starts to shout, “Hey, you kids wait-!” but you don’t even pause. There’s no point in expecting any help from outsiders. And there’s no reason for you to expect any of them would listen to what you have to say either.


	8. Day 2, part 2

After that encounter in Akasaka, it’s decided you should all take a few minutes to regroup. You didn’t have any real hope for getting out that way, but, well, it’s still somewhat disappointing. And there’s the issue of what the soldiers had said...

“‘Targets’,” Naoya mutters around the food in his mouth, before swallowing. “So it’s not just the demons the government knows about. They’ve got info on the COMPs specifically.”

“Not the Shomonkai, though,” you say.

“Yeah - no way they’d have confused _us_ for members if that’s what they’re looking for. We don’t look enough like walking traffic cones.” Loki says, before shoving the rest of his snack bar into his mouth.

You consider this for a few minutes. “If they don’t even know who they’re looking for, maybe we could have been able to explain the situation to them?”

Naoya snorts. “Yeah, just walk right up to the soldiers we already _know_ don’t care about the people they’ve got trapped here. I bet these ones would _definitely_ take three kids pointing blame seriously.” You wait until he’s gotten the sarcasm out of his system. Without a retort, he eventually sighs and adds, “Besides, you heard them. They’re still looking for COMPs - what if they just take ours to investigate them or something? We can’t afford to be defenseless in here.”

“That’s possible, but I _am_ the founder’s daughter. They might listen to me seriously, even if it’s just to get more information.”

“No offense, but you’ve been kicked out of his club for years now,” Loki shrugs, “Zero leverage to offer there.”

Well, you do have to concede that point. You sigh and take another bite of your sandwich. You know the basics of what your father was trying to accomplish; to overcome God’s ordeal, he chose to rely on the power of demons, and things have clearly gotten out of his control. But even when you were the maiden, he kept you on a need-to-know basis.

Yuzu Tanikawa, though... _she_ must know more than the regular members. The only other person you can think might know as much is Azuma, and you can’t imagine _he’d_ have any interest in speaking to you. And she’s clearly had undergone some kind of special training before now - she was able to fend off the Wendigo the very first night, without any demons of her own, after all.

You don’t know if she’ll listen to you, but there has to be a chance, right? She recognized you, you’re sure of it. She’d know you were in her position before. That you can understand.

“You alright?” Naoya asks. You sigh, brushing some hair out of your face.

“Yes. Just thinking.” You look down at Naoya’s laptop bag. “What if we did get someone from the Shomonkai to talk to the military, explain what they’ve done? You unlocked the program - do you think it’s the kind of thing that could be reversed?”

He looks a little startled at the idea, then leans forward, eyes turning unfocused as he considers. “Maybe. But we’d need the server, for one thing,” he says, “You can’t change the program through the COMP - at best, you might be able to adjust how it works on that individual machine, but that’s not what we need. And it’s obviously a very complicated program. Anyone trying to change it would be working blind, since as far as we know, the actual programmer may not even be in the Lockdown. I can’t even guess how long it’d take.”

You keep your face neutral. You know Naoya wants to believe his cousin’s been honest with him, and you suppose you can’t blame him for that. You know how much he means to him. But it is a little... frustrating. Especially given how he’d reacted to your father a few years ago.

Maybe it’s just always easier to notice from the outside.

“Hah, you think the government’s just gonna take the program and wrap things up nice and neat with it?” Loki says, smirking a bit. “C’mon, that’d be such a waste, even they have to know that.”

You shake your head. “I know it’s not a perfect plan, and it’s only considering the short-term. But it’s still something. At the very least, I can’t imagine they’d keep the Lockdown going if they had the means to get rid of all the demons at once.”

He hums a bit. “Eh, fair enough. Not like picking off the demons one by one’s gonna accomplish much. Especially not in just... what is it now, five days?”

Naoya frowns, shoulders hunching a little. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. It’s worth trying, anyway, if we can’t come up with anything more solid. But all this is assuming we can get someone from the Shomonkai to help us.”

“I’d like to try and convince Yuzu Tanikawa,” you say, leaving no room for argument, “I know finding Gin comes first today, but if the chance comes up, I intend to take it.” To their credit, they don’t even look put-off by the idea, despite everything else you have on your plate today. You have to find Midori too, and warn her about that man you’d run into earlier. Thinking about that, you glance over at Naoya again. You didn’t hear clearly what that man said to him, you’d heard enough to recognize the threat. Maybe you should have pushed a little harder to talk about it then, instead of letting him just brush it off so quickly. And that man hadn’t looked or acted like a member of the Shomonkai, either. The last thing the lockdown needs is more cults trying to use the attacks for an agenda...

And then there’s the issue of your own demons. As you finish up eating, Naoya and Loki are both looking at his COMP while he scrolls through the condominium. You’ve all gotten as much out of the auction as you can, he thinks. The only other option is fusing.

“Gotta do what you gotta do,” Loki says with a shrug, “But hey, it sounds pretty cool, at least! How do you think it works? Like, do they remember everything from their two halves, or is it a totally new thing that pops up?”

Naoya rolls his eyes. “How should I know? You’d have to ask the demons.”

“Not a bad idea!” Loki says, pulling out his own COMP and tapping at the screen, “Wish we _could_ just summon ‘em to talk. Bet they know all kinds of things we don’t, and there’s not exactly time for a chat when we’re fighting.”

You stay out of the discussion, mulling over the idea privately. You need stronger allies, you know that. It shouldn’t be a big deal. But the idea leaves a bad taste in your mouth. When Naoya asks if you want to go through the list of demons yourself, you decide to swap out Waira for a Garm and leave it at that for now. If he notices, he doesn’t mention it.

 

* * *

 

Your search for Gin manages to go even less smoothly than your attempt at finding Midori yesterday. Loki has plenty of ideas as to where Gin might want to hang out, but none of them pan out, and unlike Midori, Gin isn’t exactly famous enough for people to notice. It isn’t until Naoya points out that if Gin’s supposed to die, he might be somewhere even more dangerous than usual. And he did seem familiar with that gang member yesterday - and of course, Loki knows exactly where their territory is.

The warehouses are certainly deserted enough to seem ripe for demon appearances. Though, you do wonder why that’s been the case. They’re far stronger than normal humans, they could do a lot more damage than they have been. Maybe it’s the Shomonkai’s presence in the park that keeps them away? The thought grates on you. The individual members no doubt mean well, but you don’t want to give Shomonkai any credit for helping with a problem they created.

Loki stops, cocks his head. “Hey, I think I hear somethi-” and something swoops down from a shattered window, his reflexes only narrowly helping him get away with a scratch to the face. It’s a Lilim, and by no means alone. More Gagyson, Makaras... practically a flock of flying demons. Your mouth hardens into a line, and your COMP activates, Pixie and Garm appearing next to you.

Naoya raises an eyebrow at your team, but there’s no time to criticize. His COMP flashes, Makara and Moh Shuyuu comes out. Loki’s using Toubyou and a Gagyson of his own. Both decently equipped to take on flyers, you realize with a near-wince.

The lack on your own team shows immediately. Waira might have been better after all, despite its low level - Garm can jump well enough, but it’s too enthusiastic, and that makes it clumsy and hurts your aim when you try to ride it. You have to give up and separate to have a hope of hitting anything. And Pixie... Pixie’s obviously frustrated. She sticks close, but she’s agitated. Her sparks of Zio are barely doing any damage. They can’t even paralyzing what they hit. You try to make up for it yourself, but when she realizes how you keep stepping in front of her, her face goes red and she stamps her foot in mid-air, before bolting out to try hitting one of the roaming Makara.

The attack hits, but only irritates the demon, and all it takes is one hard blow from its tail to knock Pixie out of the sky. You manage to catch her and start to cast Dia, when she stands up in your palm looking furious.

“ _Master! What are you thinking, still using me like this?_ ”

You blink, then frown and say, “We’re a team. It’s natural-”

“ _There’s nothing natural about it!_ ” She flutters her wings, stamping her tiny foot over and over. You start to protest, that you don’t have time for a tantrum, but she pays no attention. “ _You can clearly see that I’m not doing my job, and it’s a waste of magic to have to keep healing me._ ” It hisses, “ _Is this supposed to be pity?_ ”

“Of course not,” you say, trying to keep an eye on the fight out of the corner of your eye, “But what would you rather I do? Never use you again?”

“ _Don’t be stupid - obviously, you should fuse me with someone._ ”

Your Garm is snapping futilely at the flying monsters - you can’t see from here how Naoya and Loki are doing. You try to end this squabble as quickly as you can. “There isn’t time for this. We can talk-”

“ _No we can’t! This is the only time I can even be out!_ ” It grabs your cheek suddenly, pulling it. You’re startled enough to let it. “ _You listen to me, Master. You think I like getting knocked around like a common fly? We both need power, and that’s the only way to get it now!_ ” You finally do brush its hand away, looking away, starting to feel almost guilty. “ _After all,_ ” it says, a little quieter, “ _I can’t hold up my end of the contract otherwise. You’re not letting me do what I’m here to do for you._ ”

Then it’s your Pixie’s turn to snap to attention, and you follow her look in time to see that Lilim coming right for you. Pixie jumps up, Zio flashing, but gets hit again and this time fades out into light immediately. Your Garm tries to tackle it and manages to bite onto its leg, but it gets hit directly with the Lilim’s own lighting and is forced to let go, yelping and whimpering as it falls to the ground. You try to run to it, already preparing to summon another demon from your COMP, but you’re forced back by a sudden blast of icy wind and when you try to move you find yourself stuck. A pair of Jack Frosts giggle from around the corner of a building, and the Lilim cackles and starts towards you again-

And a burst of fire hits her squarely in the side, sending her hissing and reeling away.

You look behind you expecting Naoya. Instead, you realize with a start, it’s the man from this morning. Honda. And flanked by two demons of his own.

“I have to admit I didn’t expect to see you again this quickly, Miss Kuzuryuu,” he smiles, “But it seems a good thing I did.” He then calls back over his shoulder, “Mari, there’s more over here!” In no time, the leader of the Daemons runs into view, followed by even more demons.

She smiles serenely, and with a flick of her wrist sets her Gozuki and Tlaloc against the Jack Frosts. Their giggles turn shrill when faced with more powerful flames and the bull monster’s massive axe. By the time they’re gone, the frost has worn off and you’re able to move again, and your Garm as returned (looking rather shamefaced, you think) to your side. You finish summoning your next demon - an Angel - and look for Naoya and Loki. Ah, good, still fighting.  If starting to look a bit harried as the demons circle them like vultures.

“Thank you for the help,” you start to say, already hurrying to rejoin them, “But I’m afraid I can’t talk-”

“Of course,” Mari says with a nod, following you over to the remaining fight. “There’s time for explanation afterwards.”

Naoya’s baffled at the sudden appearance of reinforcements, but makes no complaint. There’s barely time to. With five of you, and ten demons working alongside, you all make quick work of the remaining enemies. As their numbers dwindle, your opponents seem to think better of challenging you, until the last few decide to take off and scatter.

Mari shakes her head. “Wonderful, now we’ll have to track the rest down again. Such a waste.” But then she turns back to you, looking mildly amused. “I’ll say, I wasn’t expecting to run into you three here, let alone like this. If you’ve come hoping for information on your cousin, though, I’m afraid I still don’t have any. It’s been difficult to communicate without phones, and as you can see I’ve had a slight change in priorities.”

“That’s fine, guess it’s about what I expected...” Naoya sighs, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Speaking of new priorities,” Loki says, “Since when did you become a Demon Tamer? Either of you?”

“Not long at all, to be honest,” Honda says simply, “I only found this a little while after running into you. Remarkable inventions, aren’t they?”

“They’re _something_ , anyway.” Naoya keeps looking at Mari. “Do the rest of the Daemons know you’re out here fighting them on your own like this?”

“They know what they need to,” Mari smiles. “And as you can quite clearly see, I’m not on my own. If anything,” she holds up a finger, “I should be giving you a lecture on putting yourselves in danger. This is no kind of work for children.”

“We’re not _children_ -”

“Mhmm, of course you aren’t.” Her smile doesn’t change, though there’s an unmistakeable sharpness to her eyes. “But this is my territory, and therefore _my_ concern. Not your’s. And I don’t expect to see you back here without good reason.”

“Actually, we do have a reason,” Loki throws in, without missing a beat, “We’re looking for a friend of mine, and we think he knows some people in your gang. Eiji Takimiya ring a bell?”

That catches her off guard. “Eiji? Do you mean Gin?”

“That’s him!” Loki grins, “You do know him then? Great! You can make up for Kazuya then.”

“Well, not personally. But he’s the student of a friend, so I’ve heard a little about him.” She tilts her head, taking a few seconds to think. “You’re right though, I suppose I do owe you a bit of information. I don’t know for sure if he’s there now, but he’s been staying with my friend since the Lockdown was put in place. You’ll probably have more luck asking him about it.”

Naoya raises an eyebrow. “He’s not in the Daemons?”

“No.” She smiles a little, “Do you think I don’t know anyone outside my gang?” Naoya mutters something about ‘not being what he meant’, but Mari laughs it off. “It’s fine, I’m teasing. Here, this is his address...” Naoya and Loki look over the note she’s typing on her COMP. Since they seem to have it under control, you take the opportunity to pull Honda aside.

“Not to say it isn’t admirable of you to be fighting demons like this, but I hope you’ll be careful. There’s far more dangerous ones than just these. If you feel in over your head, there’s nothing wrong with staying someplace safe and just focusing on defending yourself.”

Honda shakes his head. “I appreciate your concern, but I doubt the demons are interested in just fighting to defend. And if you’re right that there are even stronger demons running around, then I can’t afford not to be prepared.” He pauses, looking off in the distance, “Especially with no sign this is going to end soon...”

“Is something wrong?”

“Ah, sorry. I’m just... worried.” He tries to smile, but it’s far too strained to look convincing, “My son wasn’t with me when the Lockdown went up, so he’s stuck outside on his own.”

When he says ‘my son’, a frantic edge seeps into his voice. It makes something inside you hurt. You try to set it aside. “I’m sorry. It must be terrible to be apart from him.”

He looks back at you, still much too stiff. “Yes... though I suppose I should be thankful he’s not stuck in _here_ alone. But I really can’t just sit around doing nothing until I can get back to him. I need to be strong enough to make it through this.”

There’s nothing you can do in reply but nod. Maybe keeping busy, even in a dangerous way, is better for him. If he can’t be with his son, he should at least be able to feel like he’s making progress.

“Honda, we should get going,” Mari says, waving for him, “Don’t want those guys getting too far.”

“Understood,” he nods, before smiling at you again. This time it manages to look right. “By the way, I’m glad to see you’re still doing alright.”

You try to relax, enough to return the smile. “Same to you. And good luck.”

As he and Mari go, you listen a bit idly as Loki and Naoya decide which way to the address is quickest from here. You pull out your COMP, and scroll through the Cathedral’s Fusion options.

You could just not use Pixie any more. You could keep her in the COMP, safe and wholly herself, for as long as you have it. But...

‘ _You’re not letting me do what I’m here to do for you._ ’

That’s right. To just hide her away like that really _would_ be pity. An insult to your first partner. And... after all. She’s not the only one that wants to keep fighting together.

You take a few seconds to decide - she’s such a proud demon, she’d want a new form that’s beautiful as well as strong - but when you do, all it takes is a few quick clicks. Pixie is gone, and Sarasvati is in her place now.

 

* * *

 

You find her friend’s - Tadashi - apartment easily enough. Though you can’t catch him at home, Mari’s description is pretty clear, and you manage to recognize him about a block away. But even if she’d been more vague, well, the white lab coat he’s wearing certainly stands out easily enough.

When Loki calls out his name, he practically leaps out of his skin and turns around to snarl, “Yeah? What d’you want?” Even considering the situation, he seems very on-edge.

Not that it daunts Loki any. “Sorry to bug ya, but we’re looking for Gin. Mari told us he was with you.”

“Mari did?” He hesitates, then takes a breath and says, more calmly, “Sorry, he hasn’t been in since this morning. Him or his friend.”

You step forward to ask, “Please, do you know anything about where he might be? I’m afraid this can’t wait.”

Tadashi looks between the three of you, then squints and leans a little closer. “Who did you guys say you were, exactly? Friends of his?”

“I am!” Loki points at himself, and grimaces a bit as he says, “Does ‘Shirou’ ring a bell at all?”

Tadashi’s squint grows narrower, until his face is practically inches from Loki. “Shirou? As in, _middle-school_ Shirou?”

“That’s the one!”

For a few long seconds, Tadashi doesn’t say anything, just eyes Loki warily. But ultimately, concern wins out, and he sighs. “If it’s really an emergency, guess I’ve got no choice - there’s supposed to be a big get-together later today for people looking to volunteer around the Lockdown. Gin said he was going to go to it later with his friend. But that’s all I know.”

“This meeting, where’s it supposed to be?”

“Ikebukuro, I think. I was gonna go to it too, but...” he rubs the back of his neck, “I’ve got enough on my plate already. Don’t need anyone else giving me more to worry about.” He pauses. “Sorry, that’s still a few hours away. I don’t know if it’s all that helpful.”

“No, you’ve been a great help. Thank you very much.” You bow your head, but Tadashi just looks uncomfortable and crosses his arms.

“Hey, no need for that. Just... just make sure he’s okay, yeah?”

“Don’t you worry about that! We’ve got it all under control now.” Loki raises a hand in a mock-salute, and starts leading the two of you away.

Once you’re far enough away Tadashi can’t overhear, Loki grins. “Awesome, now we know for sure he’s at the 16:00 attack! That’ll save us a bunch of running around.”

Naoya lets out a groan. “Great. So there’s no practical way to get our business with him over any sooner than that.”

“Aww, don’t be like that.” Loki says, slinging his arm around Naoya’s shoulder, “If saving his life doesn’t get you into his good books, I don’t know what will.” Naoya grunts something noncommittal. Loki laughs. “C’mon, it’ll be fine. He’s a decent guy and all that.”

“Since we have time now,” you interrupt, “I’d like to try and see the earlier attack. I want to see how the Shomonkai are going to handle it. And I could try to speak with Yuzu Tanikawa too, if she’s there.”

He pauses, then nods. “Yeah. If you’re sure you want to. But if you want me to talk to her-”

You smile a little. “Don’t worry, I’ve no intention of asking for that. Hopefully she’ll listen to me if I can get her away from the rest of the followers.”  


* * *

 

Even from a distance, you can see the chaos already. There’s only a few people on their own, but the demons are stalking around them like a cat playing with its food. You look around, trying to find the Shomonkai. They’re supposed to be here, aren’t they?

Loki heaves a melodramatic sigh. “Guess we’ve gotta do everything ourselves.” He pulls out his COMP and sets his demons out with a flash, Toubyou managing to hit one with Zio from an impressive distance. People turn to look at the three of you, but you only hesitate for a moment before activating your own. Sarasvati appears right next to you, stretching herself out.

‘ _Well, Master, nice to see I’m being put to use already._ ’ Her voice isn’t quite the same, but... there is a familiar sound to it, and when you look at her, her smirk is almost identical. You’re not sure if that’s reassuring, or unsettling. Reassured, then, that’s your choice.

Not that your demons do much to reassure anyone. Even with Sarasvati and Angel, the sudden appearances and company they keep sends the stragglers screaming and running for the tower. Even Naoya seems distracted, side-eyeing your feathery teammate even as he sends a stream of Maragi to cut some of the demons’ chase routes off. When he doesn’t drop it, your exasperation finally makes you ask, “Would you rather I use someone else?”

“No, it’s fine. It’s just... kinda weird,” he says, looking back in front of him, “I mean, what’s an angel doing on a _demon_ summoning program?”

Said Angel doesn’t even acknowledge the question. Instead, Loki shrugs and answers for it. “Supernatural is supernatural. It’s not like a goddess fits any better.”

“I _guess_ , but- ugh, no, _not_ the time for a debate,” he says, shaking his head. His Makara blows back a Toubyou mid-lunge with Zan, giving a woman time to run. But she runs blindly, paying no attention to who’s helping and who’s trying to attack her. It’s not unexpected, but you wish there were an easier way to show them you mean no harm. All you can hope for is that your actions will speak for themselves.

But as much as you try to keep their attention, the demons are still between you and the panicked group. One of the Gozuki raises its axe as a rallying point. “ _Ignore them!_ ” It shouts, pointing off towards the tower and the crowd, “ _Those souls are what our master needs!_ ”

Naoya has Garm now, but even trying to chase after them, you’re just too far. They won’t catch up in time, and the rest of you have no chance at all.

And then, like the sun bursting through stormclouds, rays of gold light shoot at the demons, forcing them back.

The Shomonkai finally appears, forming a line blocking off the demons. Yuzu Tanikawa is at the front, hands clasped in front of her, and calling out, “Laksmi! Come to me!”

The demon that is called forth can only be described as a _goddess_ . Of course Sarasvati should be no different, there’s no way to deny it. Even from a distance, you can feel a sense of comfort and security being radiated from her. Whether because of Pixie or simply the company she’s keeping, your own ‘goddess’ still looks more demon than anything, scowling at your side. “ _Show off_ ”, she mutters.

Yuzu says, her voice ringing out so clearly even you can hear, “Do not fear! That is what the demons prey on. Heaven will never forsake those who believe - trust in salvation, and keep your hearts strong.” She spreads her arms out, Laksmi floating above her in a mirrored pose, “Oh merciful Majesty, grant me strength!” And more bolts of light strike the approaching demons, blasting them into nothing.

The people are sobbing in relief, and the Shomonkai make quick work of following their maiden’s lead. All their own demons are similar to Laksmi - gentle, holy looking things, all gold and feathered wings, here solely to help and never hurt.  When the last demons are disposed of, Yuzu turns back to the crowd.

“You are safe now. Any injured, please come speak to us, we’ll do everything we can to aid you,” she nods at her followers, who are already starting to disperse and speak to the people.

It’s probably the best chance you’ll get. Once most of the Shomonkai are gone, you look and Naoya and Loki and gesture for them to follow you.

“Miss... Tanikawa,” you decide to address her as, as you approach her, “I would like to speak with you.”

Her eyes flicker over you, as impenetrable as your own no doubt were once. “I am quite busy now. My apologies.”

“It won’t take long - and it’s very important.”

“More important than tending the wounded?” She does not sound like she wants an answer. “Perhaps later.”

“It really-”

“Look,” Naoya sighs, stepping closer, “You had something you wanted to say to me, right?” Yuzu pauses, and looks at him warily. “Well, if you’ll listen to her, I’ll listen to you. Deal?”

Yuzu still hesitates, and one of the people walks over to her. “Lady Yuzu... you don’t have to go with them. I saw them. They were summoning demons. I’m sure they sent the ones that attacked us!”

“Yes, don’t go, it’s dangerous.” A woman you’d helped earlier says, almost reaching out to hold her back but not quite daring. Naoya steps back, already looking like he’d regret saying anything.

But then, to everyone’s surprise, Yuzu raises a hand. “Be at peace. I am certain they had nothing to do with that. There is nothing to fear here now.” Then she looks back to you and nods.

A weight lifts from your chest, and you lead her off to the parking lot near the building. It’s empty, no sign of life without the demons now.

“Miss Tanikawa, I know that the Shomonkai believes what it’s doing is right,” you say, “But this situation is obviously out of control. I think the best course of action right now is for you to make contact with the SDF, and get their help to end this.”

She doesn’t blink. “And how would that work?”

“If demons were summoned by the COMPs you commissioned, then surely the COMPs can be used to send them away. No matter how complicated the code, if we get enough people working on a way to change it, I’m sure we’ll find one.” You look her in the eye, trying to impress on her the importance of this, “Please, we should be looking for a way to end this as soon as possible, with as few lives lost as we can.”

Yuzu tries to remain still, implacable, but her mouth hardens. “It isn’t that simple, I’m afraid. The ordeal is already begun, and it cannot end without humanity proving itself. Spreading the knowledge of demons beyond the barricade will only enable more humans to fall to sin. That’s why Naoya-”

“-Humanity doesn’t have prove anything. This can end whenever you choose it.” You try to keep your voice level, but you can’t keep out your need for her to understand. “Whatever the Founder’s told you, it’s not fact. He might have sounded convincing, but the only reason for this ordeal is to fulfill his own prophecies, and his prophecies mean people will die.”

“I said it’s too late.” Her hand grabs your shoulder, hard enough to hurt. Naoya and Loki both jump, and look ready to intervene, but you glance at them quickly and shake your head. Her voice is lower now, guttural almost. “It’s been too late for _months_ .” She looks up, her orange eyes almost shining with something. Something bright and flickering. “You’d have known. If you had stayed. You’d know there’s no turning back now. There is only forward. For humanity, for demons, for all of existence. This ordeal will _never end_ until the throne is _claimed_ for His Majesty _once and for all_!” Her eyes grow wider, her mouth almost twists into a smile, and her hand jerks from your shoulder to grab the collar of your shirt, and you can feel her arm tense and about to lift when... she stops. Her hand freezes in place, before, slowly, relaxing and releasing you. She’s still for a second, and then, bows.

“My apologies for this behavior.” Her voice isn’t just controlled now - it’s completely toneless. Flat. She straightens up, but her movements are so stiff. “I must... calm myself, I’m afraid. We may speak later.” She looks at Naoya, eyes distant, “I will hold you to your promise. Do not forget.”

You watch her move. There’s an odd weightlessness to her steps. You feel as if she might fade out of existence if you look away. You almost want to grab her, to make sure she’s still real.

It’s Naoya who finally breaks the silence and asks, voice shaking just slightly, “What the hell...? What did Kuzuryuu do to you?”

“Not Kuzuryuu. Not solely.” She looks back, and some emotion’s returned to her eyes. Very slight, but very distinct, sorrow. “Oh, dear lost child. You have not even begun to understand that which has been done in your name.”


	9. Day 2, part 3

It all happened so suddenly. The screaming, the explosion of monsters into the street, the glass and concrete shattered and thrown into the air. Over the crowd, you manage to hear someone shouting about a storm cellar in the mall’s basement. You grab Haru’s wrist and try to pull her towards the building. She’s just watching the chaos, caught in its headlights. You try to pull her, encourage her into running, but it’s like pulling a ragdoll behind you. She’s limp, disoriented. You can see her mouth moving, but there’s too much commotion to hear what she’s saying.

And then, the crowd forces the two of you apart.

You swear, try to spot her, but it’s a sea of zeros around you, you can’t pick her out of all the glowing red. You do your best to just hold your ground, wait for the majority to get behind you inside instead. But for every zero you see, the hope of anyone actually being protected by this plan is chipped away a little bit more. It really is up to you to do something here. You and no one else.

Finally, you spot Haru. She’s climbed up onto a divider. It takes a second, but you realize she’s throwing small chunks of cement at the demons as they encroach upon the building. “Hey!” she shouts, “Over here! One human, ripe for the picking.”

The demons either don’t know an obvious distraction when they see one, or don’t care. Either way, they start to turn towards her, and she glances over at you and nods. You pull out your COMP, Pyro Jack and Shiisa appearing at your sides, and charge at the demons closest to her.

One goes down from Jack’s flames, then another from Shiisa’s bites and your own kicks. But there’s so many - and you can’t protect her and the people stuck inside all by yourself. And with the recognition of you as a threat, some of the demons are already reconsidering where they should be attacking. You turn to Haru and say, “Hurry, you need to get into the cellar.”

She blinks, almost flinching. “That’s- I can’t leave you out here by yourself-”

“Look, there’s nothing you can do!” It comes out a little more harshly than you mean, but there’s no time for tact. “It’ll be easier if you just make sure you’re safe with everyone else.”

She still doesn’t move, just wavers on her feet, and you have to shove her out of the way of a Toubyou’s lightning. A bright flash of pain from the hit stuns you for a second, but you catch her nodding and scrambling to her feet next to you. By the time it wears off, she’s already dashing towards the building. She’s fast - faster than you’d expected - but it’s not enough. A Gozuki cuts her off, bashing her in the side with a blow from its massive hands and knocking her to the ground. You hear her cry out even from there, and the demons that had already given up on fighting you start to converge on the easy prey.

You turn to your own partner, and command, “Shiisa, switch!” It nods with a growl, and in a blink you and your demons are standing where Haru was. Pyro Jack strikes out with its Fire Dance immediately, and your Shiisa takes a bite out of the Gozuki in front of you. But she’s even further away from the building now, and you’re surrounded.

And you can see her, still struggling to her feet, clutching at her side. Your COMPs protection isn’t enough, you have to heal her, but she’s just too far away...

A Lilim laughs above you, lightning starting to spark from its claws. “ _ How sweet, a knight in shining armor~ A shame more humans don’t follow your lead, boy. You make such an easy target~ _ ” Its attack pins you in place, giving you no room to run or dodge the oncoming attacks from the rest of the demons. Your Shiisaa tries to take the brunt of them, but the wave of the Tialoc’s flames that follow drive it back. And your Pyro Jack can’t absorb enough of the fire to make up for the strikes from the Gozuki’s axes. They both try to shield you, but...

That’s not what you want. You didn’t come here, you didn’t decide to fight, just so you could be protected helplessly. You gather all your strength and hit at the nearest demon with as strong a punch as you can manage. But even though it drives back a Tialoc, there’s too many. And giving yourself an opening like that means getting piled on. A Gozuki hits you in the gut with its axe, and while you COMP protects you from most of the damage, it still winds you. You still get knocked onto your back, and still pull your hand away from the injury with blood on it.

Pyro Jack turns and casts Charm on you, but by looking away it misses the pair of Jack Frosts that hit it with enough ice to knock it down and into light. You have to summon another demon, you try to think, something strong enough to save you, but... weren’t those your strongest demons?

Is there any demon strong enough to fend off all these monsters at once?

“Haru-” you try to say, to encourage her to run, but she’s moving too slow, and she still hasn’t let go of her side. Is she bleeding too? You can’t see from here. A demon or two looks over at her, but they keep turning back to you. Of course. Why rush? They’ll have plenty of time once you’re dead.

All at once, all the tension goes out of you. Was this really all you could manage? Even one person... you couldn’t even keep one person alive. Shiisaa is still standing its ground in front of you, hackles raised against the surrounding mob, but you can’t even work up the strength to stand anymore. There’s no point...

And then, a blast of ice shards takes out one of the Tialoc. Then lightning hits one of the Jack Frost. A huge yellow and blue bird, that can only be a demon, darts down, talons bared, and knocks a Lilim away.

“Oi, Gin! You still alive over there?”

You blink, and when you see Loki waving at you from halfway down the block, his friends with him, you think your heart stops for a second.

Your Shiisaa nudges you with it’s snout, and you scramble to your feet with the demons surrounding you are distracted by the reinforcements.

“ _ Never mind the Demon Tamers, _ ” a Tialoc hisses, “ _ There’s far more humans inside. _ ”

You take the chance to run over to Haru, still limping a little, and summon Kikimori. “Here, quick, help her,” you ask the Fairy, who nods her long thin snout. Then you turn to the trio and shout, “There’s dozens of people inside, focus on keeping the demons out!”

“Roger that,” Loki says, with a mock salute, and the gorilla-like monster behind him lets out a bellow and charges. Naoya actually gets onto that bird and it carries him over between the demons and the entrance, and summons a moving pile of rocks that places itself firmly as a barrier.

Amane attacks from a distance, but the two... demons? You  _ think  _ they’re demons, though they look more human-like than most you’ve seen, if not for the wings and floating. The demons with her cut off the escape routes for a few trying to fly off, knocking them back with blasts of wind and lightning. Haru stares at them all, wide-eyed, then turns to you, “Other people have these things too?”

“Yeah, seems that way,” you say, not really wanting to admit to her you’ve known that since yesterday. Loki trots over to you.

“Hey, sorry we took a while.” He winks, “Been looking for you all day, y’know.” Then he grabs your arm, “So if you’re all set over here, let’s go! Don’t wanna leave Naoya stuck on his own.”

It’s. It’s embarrassing. You’d gotten so mad, stormed off like a kid having a tantrum, and he still showed up to help you. You hadn’t even told him what was wrong, but here he is. You turn to Haru and say, “C’mon, let’s get you inside.” She eyes Loki warily, but doesn’t argue. Can’t really deny now that she’s in over her head.

The rest of the fight is a blur of activity you can barely keep track of. It isn’t like you’ve just been slacking off all day, but Loki and his friends clearly know how to fight together. They barely even have to talk to coordinate their attacks, and trying to keep up with them as a team just isn’t realistic. You focus instead on what’s in front of you, whatever demon tries to slip through the cracks to take out the ‘weak link’. You might not know how to fight alongside these three yet, but your own demons aren’t anything to take lightly either.

You land another Power Hit on a Gozuki before it can swing, and with an almost offended snarl, it vanishes. And then you realize, that was the last one. You’ve all won. No one died, you didn’t die, and all the demons are gone.

“Not bad!” Loki laughs, whacking you on the shoulder. “You’ve had some good practice.”

You laugh a little. “Yeah, you too.” Naoya and Amane walk over to the two of you, and you try not to avoid their eyes, no matter how embarrassed you feel over how you’d acted yesterday. They both really fought hard to help you, after all. “Thanks a lot, I owe you guys.”

“It’s fine,” Naoya says, “You got us that charger, so we’re even.”

“And besides, we owe you an apology,” Amane says, “We should never have ignored you like that when you were looking for help.” And then she stares pointedly at Loki, obviously expecting something. He sighs, but smiles at you.

“Yeah, sorry. It won’t happen again, okay?”

You rub the back of your head, hoping you look less bashful than you feel. “No, it’s fine, I- I overreacted. We’re good.” His grin widens, and it’s as infectious as ever. You wind up smiling back at him before you realize.

“We should probably get out of here quick,” Naoya huffs, looking around like he expects more monsters to pop up. “If people notice the demons are gone and we’re just standing around out here, they’re gonna get suspicious.”

You raise an eyebrow at him. “Suspicious of what?”

“That we’re responsible for the attack.”

“Oh come on, why would they think that? We got rid of the demons, what would be the point of-”

He grimaces. “Trust me, they’re not gonna think that hard about it. Let’s just get going.”

Okay, so maybe you weren’t that off about not liking this guy. But you guess there’s no reason to hang around. “Fine, just let me get-”

Haru bursts out the door. “Are you okay? It’s over, right?” You strongly suspect she didn’t bother going to the basement. If she’d gotten hurt, you’d have been frustrated... but since she didn’t, you can’t help but think it’s kind of sweet she was that worried.

“Yeah, c’mon,” you say, “However the rest of those people are gonna react, it’ll get pretty noisy quick. Let’s go somewhere quiet to talk.” She nods, and the five of you head off down the street. You keep an eye open for any lingering demons, but there’s no sign. You guess even if there were some left, they’re not gonna try and fight you all now.

“So, who might you be?” Loki says, sidling up to Haru and raising an eyebrow at her, “‘Cause I could’ve sworn I’ve seen you around before.”

Naoya rolls his eye. “Nice cliche.”

Haru doesn’t answer, just keeps her head down and eyes him through her bangs. Loki laughs, and manages to smile a little less sleazily. “No, seriously, you look familiar. Maybe we went to the same middle school?” He looks over at you. “Is that how you guys know each other?”

“Nah, we met here, actually. This is Haru-”

He snaps his fingers, eyes lighting up. “Ha! Of course,  _ Haru _ \- you run a fashion blog, right? I  _ knew  _ I recognized you.”

That certainly gets Haru’s attention. “You actually follow it?” She looks up at him directly, and though she still sounds a little suspicious, she’s at least interested now. You decide it’s a good thing.

“Yeah, you’ve got  _ killer  _ taste. I’ve commented a couple times, actually-”

“Oh, a blog, huh? That’s pretty cool,” you say, “So you do men and women’s fashion then? You should give me a link when this is over, I’d love to see it.”

Loki shuts his mouth pretty abruptly. It takes you aback, and you even catch Naoya looking over at him for a second. Sure you interrupted, but it’s not that big of a deal, right? Unless he was seriously interested in Haru, which would... be fine, you guess, but there’s gotta be a better time than this anyway.

Haru hesitates, but then shrugs and looks at you, “Yeah, sure. Might have to remind me once we actually get cell service back, though.”

“It’s a deal.” You beam, then turn back to the three new additions. They’ve started clustering a little again. You try not to take it personally like last time - I mean, really, it’s just to be expected. After all, they’ve been working just the three of them this whole time. You step towards them, tapping Loki on the shoulder, “Hey, so where’ve you guys been staying? Do one of you live around here?”

Amane shakes her head. “No, but the park’s been surprisingly safe.” She looks up at the sky, already starting to turn a little pink. “We might have to head over there soon, if we want to beat nightfall.”

“What? No way, you don’t have to do that,” you say, “You guys should stay with us, at Kaido’s.”

Naoya squints at you. “You can’t just invite us to someone else’s house.”

“It’s fine, he won’t mind. He’d probably yell at me for letting you sleep outside if I didn’t.” You turn to Haru. “C’mon, back me up here.”

She sighs, rubbing the back of her neck. “Hate to say it, but he’s right. That guy’s too welcoming for his own good. If you want to spare us a lecture, you should at least stop by and explain to him why you don’t want to stay.”

Naoya looks at Amane for help, but she thinks it over quietly and finally says, “There’s no reason to turn down hospitality. And we shouldn’t be taking more risks than we need to.” He doesn’t look very comfortable with the idea, but he doesn’t argue. She looks over at you and offers a slight smile. “We met him briefly earlier, but we’ll be counting on you to introduce us properly.”

With the four of them all looking at you, you feel a quick burst of pride. “Yeah, just leave it to me!”

 

* * *

 

“Not much room, but make yourself at home,” Kaido says, practically herding you all in. It strikes you now that there’s six of you here just how small his apartment really is. It always seemed so impressive he was living on his own before, but it’s a pretty tiny place. Still, knowing you brought everyone somewhere that’ll keep them safe through the night outweighs any other concerns. Loki wastes no time in following Kaido’s greeting to the letter, plopping down onto the small couch in the center of the main room.

“Geeze, finally. Almost forgot what a cushion felt like,” he says, looking far too pleased with himself. Amane looks around, politely interested in some of the textbooks lying around, and you overhear her asking Kaido about whether he’s attending medical school. Naoya, though, just kind of shuffles around the edges of the room looking awkward and tugging on his bag strap... what does he even have in that thing, anyway? It sure looks like a laptop bag, but who’d just carry something like that around over summer break? You decide to take the high road and, instead of laughing, lead by example and sit next to Loki.

“I can’t believe you managed to spend all night outside. You didn’t get attacked, did you?”

Loki waves a hand. “Nah, nothing like that. It turned out to be pretty quiet once we cleared a spot out. And we even slept in shifts too - what a waste.” He sighs dramatically, getting a chuckle out of you for it.

Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Kaido approaching Naoya, who seems to have rooted himself in the corner. You don’t really hear what he says, but from the way Naoya hisses ‘I’m fine’ in return, you can guess Kaido was trying to be nice. Geeze, Kaido just can’t leave the difficult ones alone...  you turn your attention back to Loki. “That’s pretty cool!” You grin, then add, a little slowly, “Gotta admit, though, I’m kind of surprised you all showed up today. I mean, you were never big on heroics.”

“Well, heroics never involved demon fights before. It’s way more fun this way.” Then he glances over at Amane, who’s headed over to ask Kaido about anything she can help out with. “Besides,  _ she _ can’t get enough of them, and I don’t mind keeping pace with her.”

“So that’s what you’re gonna be doing the rest of the week? Fighting and helping people?” Honestly, it’s hard to get your head around that. If anyone had told you a few years ago about this, you’d have laughed in their faces.

He shrugs. “Who knows? We might not even make it that long.” You glance up at the one over his head, but grin and nudge him in the side.

“Oh c’mon, like I’m gonna buy that kinda downer attitude from you.”

It’s so easy, talking to him like this again. Way more than you could have expected. But he proved it today, right? That he did care about you after all. It’s not like it makes up for the way he just up and left, or how he ignored you, but what bitterness is still there is at least easier to swallow. You knew he wasn’t sentimental, but he still showed up to save you. And even looked for you all day, if what he says is true. When you think like that, you can’t help but feel kind of warm about it.

You look over the back of the sofa to see where the rest of the group’s wound up. Looks like the kitchen - you can hear Kaido talking to them about what kind of leftovers and canned food he still has from there. So, you figure this is your best shot at asking.

“So, that Naoya guy... what’s his deal?” You keep your voice low - no sense taking chances. “I mean, he doesn’t really seem like your type. He’s so... stiff.”

Loki raises an eyebrow at you, and looks so smug you have to struggle to keep a straight face. It isn’t about jealousy, whatever he thinks. It’s  _ not _ . Then he laughs a bit and says, “No way, Naoya’s plenty of fun~ Amane too, for that matter.”

“If you say so.” You glance over at the kitchen again. Still no one coming out. “But you have to admit, they’re pretty different from our old friends. It’s kind of surprising.”

“Well,” he says with a bit of a hum, “I ditched the old for a reason, didn’t I?”

You flinch, shutting your mouth with a snap. Was he... he wasn’t talking about  _ you _ , right? Sure, your friends back then were a bunch of assholes, and sometimes you got caught up in that, but... Then he looks at you and laughs again. “Don’t look like that~ I just mean you gotta mix it up now and then to keep things interesting, you know?”

You relax a bit, and nod. “Yeah, I get what you mean.” Still. It occurs to you that he didn’t really say much about  _ Naoya _ . He sidestepped that completely. You’re wondering if you should try pressing a little harder, when Kaido comes back, leaning over next to you.

“Alright, I want to be careful with how much we use, but there’s plenty for dinner at least.” He stands up straight, looking over the room. “I guess after, we can set up the futon for the girls. Some people can probably squeeze onto the couch, but you and I can make do with the floor.”

“Only giving the girls the futon? Isn’t that kind of discriminatory?” Loki asks, sounding offended. “At least three people ought to fit, if we really try.”

Kaido stares at him, deadpan. “Let me guess. You want to be the third?”

“Well, if you’re offering...”

“The couch is  _ fine _ ,” Naoya grumbles as he looms behind Loki. Loki leans back to grin up at him.

“Oh? Not gonna be much room, y’know.”

“I already said it’s fine.” Naoya sighs, pushing some hair out of his eyes. Loki waggles his eyebrows, and you can’t help but snort at him. He stiffens a little and adds, “Anyway, better you than some random stranger.”

Loki laughs. “Is that so? Nice to know where I rank.” He stands up, stretching a little, “Well, let’s see what he’s got for food.”

It’s then you notice Haru standing over by the kitchen doorway. She hasn’t really talked much since the attack... you get up and walk over to ask, “Everything alright?”

She jumps a little, like she’d forgotten you existed for a few minutes. But she says, “Yeah, I’m fine.” She pauses. “It’s pretty amazing, huh? What people can do with COMPs. Even without a place to stay, they’ve gotten through two days without getting hurt thanks to them.”

“Well, yeah, but you don’t need a COMP to make sure of that.” You pat her on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine, I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.” She looks up at you and smiles, but it looks a little strained to you. You tilt you head and ask again, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She nods. “Yeah. Sorry, I’m just still kind of shaken up, I guess.” She lets out a long sigh. “It’s been a rough couple of hours. I think I’m gonna be turning in early tonight.”

Yeah, you can understand that. You check the number over her head again - a solid five now. Still not great, but it’s at least just like most people’s now, and five days should be plenty to find out what’s going on with the Lockdown and how to fix it. No, it’s pretty obvious that Loki and his friends with their ones are who you should be worrying about now. As Kaido calls for the rest of you to hurry over and eat, you’re already starting to plan how you’ll ask to join them tomorrow and find a way to help.


	10. Day 2 - Interlude 1

“This sort of sloppiness must come to an end, Miss Tanikawa,” Founder Kuzuryuu says, “I know your training was rushed, but you cannot afford to keep slipping when the ordeal has only just begun.” You stand straight, keep your breathing level, and wonder what exactly he thinks he’s saying that you don’t already know.  _ No one _ knows better than you what kind of tightrope you’re walking on. Even with Remiel working to keep Jezebel suppressed alongside you, there’s only so much he can do while leaving you in control.

It’s so easy for Kuzuryuu to strut around lecturing when he’s not the one dealing with this. But the only thing you want less than to listen to him is to prove him right, so you keep your face still and focus on staring right in front of you.

What Kuzuryuu doesn’t quite seem to get is that it’s easy to just keep a straight face, and not let what you feel out into the open. It’s much harder to stop feeling altogether. That’s not exactly  _ voluntary _ . Especially anger. Anger wells up so easily in you - it always has - and it’s even easier for her to slip into. Jezebel’s flames blend in effortlessly with the heat of your own rage. You think you’re right and justified, up until it’s too late and your veins are burning and you’re nothing but a passenger to her will.

You didn’t really notice before, but now that you have to stifle it, you realize that you actually kind of... liked getting angry. Or, no, ‘liked’ isn’t exactly the right word. But when you got caught up in anger, it was because you were passionate about something. You believed something was wrong and needed to be changed, and acted to change it. It was satisfying to be angry.

No wonder Amane set you off. The way she talked so high and mighty about what you should do, when she only knew a fraction of what was going on... who was she to talk about saving people and doing what’s right? She’s the one who ran away without doing  _ anything _ .

‘ _ Yuzu. _ ’

Remiel’s voice, concerned but firm, is as effective as a bucket of cold water dumped over your head. You freeze, stop breathing altogether. You can’t get caught up in thinking about that. You can’t.

‘ _ It’s alright _ ,’ he says, and you can almost feel his hand on your shoulder, ‘ _ Jezebel still rests. You are yourself, and no one else. _ ’

You nod again, and let out a breath. Kuzuryuu nods stiffly at you. “As long as you understand. Your position is unique here, Miss Tanikawa. You should treat your role with its proper respect.”

Oh, he’d still been talking. Well. As long as he didn’t realize you hadn’t been paying attention. You bow slightly and say, “Of course. May I be excused now?”

“Very well.” Then he smiles that serene preacher’s smile, and says, “You should get some rest. Tomorrow will be another busy day, and we are all depending on you.” You make a noise that hopefully sounds positive, and leave the room. There’s only a fraction of the members that usually work in the headquarters. You can’t help feeling guilty. You should be outside too, helping the members and refugees.

‘ _ There will be time for that later _ ,’ Remiel says, ‘ _ I may disagree with him on many points, but Kuzuryuu is correct on this one. You shouldn’t exhaust yourself while Jezebel is still so restless, it will only make it easier for her to surface. _ ’

“I know,” you mutter, heading off towards your own room. “But I don’t have to like it.”

He makes a sound like chiming, which you think might be a kind of laugh. ‘ _ It was right to choose you for this. A truly pure soul is not the only sort I can reside it, but it is far more pleasant. _ ’ You don’t blush at the compliment, which you consider amazing progress. ‘ _ Do not fret. There will be much for you to do tomorrow. You still must speak with young Cain about his choice. _ ’

Right. That.

‘ _ You do not want to? It is the most crucial task you could be given. _ ’

You frown a little at his response to your thoughts. You know you don’t need to actually speak to him, but you definitely prefer it. It feels a little more normal. When he answers things you haven’t said yet, it feels just a little too intrusive. So you deliberately wait until you’re in your room with the door shut firmly behind you to answer. “It’s not that,” you finally say, “It’s just... I’m not really sure how to tell him. It’s all going to be a lot to take in.” Especially the whole ‘you’re the current incarnation of a Biblical figure’. Would he even know who Cain and Abel were? Christianity’s not exactly common in Japan.

‘ _ You don’t have to tell him everything all at once _ ,’ Remiel says, ‘ _ Just begin with the most important part - how he can end the Lockdown. He and his friends are already looking to do so, he may listen just with that _ .’

That’s... true. But you still kind of doubt it. Every time you’ve seen him, he’s been so guarded. Scared, even. You have a hard time imagining him just accepting whatever you say that easily.

‘ _ Then you can explain about Abel’s involvement. He is not a bad child, neither of them are. They are simply lost. If Cain understands the extent of his brother’s actions, he will certainly feel responsible. _ ’

You hesitate, not just because Remiel’s responded to your thoughts again. “Is that why you said that to him earlier? So he’d feel responsible for the Lockdown?”

You can feel Remiel’s confusion before he answers. ‘ _ I said nothing untrue. The lockdown would not have been necessary without Abel’s plan, and he would not have done any of this if not for Cain. It is an important truth for him to know, for him to understand his circumstances. _ ’

“I’m not saying he shouldn't know all that, but...” But the way Remiel says it just sounds a little bit off to you. Kazuya did all this for Naoya’s sake, sure, but it’s not like Naoya asked for it. It’s been obvious from the first time you spoke that he had no idea what was going on at all. Remiel can’t really think of Naoya as the one to blame, right?

...You let out a long breath. All of a sudden you feel exhausted, like the whole weight of the day’s bearing down on you at once. Your legs feel weak and shaky, and you barely make it to your bed. Your eyes feel heavy, and you feel the calming sensation of Remiel’s presence ease you into closing them.

‘ _ Rest now, dear child _ ,’ he says, and you think, not for the first time, how beautiful his voice sounds as you start drifting off. It’s so clear, almost lyrical. ‘ _ Everything will feel clearer in the morning. And I will be here to help you. _ ’


	11. Day 2 - Interlude 2

You wait until the apartment is totally quiet. It takes a while, but it’s not hard to do. You don’t usually fall asleep easily anyway, and this place is so small you can hear someone snoring from the next room over. There isn’t even electricity humming in the walls, not with the power out. No noise from the street either. You guess everyone’s too scared to come out of hiding at night. Not sure how long that’s gonna last, but all the more reason you have to do this tonight, as soon as possible.

You glance over at the girl - Amane, you’re pretty sure - lying next to you. Definitely looks like she’s out for the night, at least. She doesn’t even move when you sit up. You ease off the futon and smooth down the blanket, but though she shifts a little, nothing else changes. And when you make your way to the doorway, even her breathing stays the same. So that’s the first step cleared.

Just from a quick look into the main room, everything seems fine. But... as you squint in the dark, you realize there’s only two people sleeping. Gin, and the flirty guy who’s been on your blog. Did you ever get his name? Well, it doesn’t matter now. As for the other two... you don’t see them anywhere, and you don’t hear them either. You take a few seconds to weigh your options, and decide you’ll just have to risk running into them. If you do, you’re still at a point where you could just tell them you were having a hard time sleeping and feeling restless. It won’t even be that much of a lie.

With that decided, you start looking for the bag.

It’s hardly the first time you’ve snuck out of somewhere, you know by now how to move quietly. Stay on your toes, keep your steps controlled. Don’t rush if there’s no need. Lucky you, Flirty Guy’s snoring even helps cover up whatever slight noise you might be making. You almost want to smirk a bit at that. Leave it to your ‘fan’ to give you some extra help. Too bad you can’t leave him a thank you note.

Ah... there, you can kind of make out the bag in the shadow of the couch. Good thing the grumpy guy didn‘t take it with him, wherever he’s hiding. You carefully unzip it, wait and glance around to see if anyone reacts, and start feeling around inside. Though, even if you’ve gone this far, you don’t know for sure if this is actually where he keeps it. He might just leave it in one of his pockets like the others do. But it’d be easier to carry around in here, right? Especially since he’s already got his laptop in it. There’s a good chance at least. It’s why you decided to go for his instead of playing pickpocket.

After a few seconds that your paranoia and careful movements make feel like forever, your hand hits something small and hard towards the bottom, buried under a bunch of empty plastic wrappers. Your heart suddenly starts pounding in your ears, and you pull out the COMP.

Yes.  _ Yes _ , here it is! You were gonna leave with or without it, but with it will be so much better. You don’t risk the noise from zipping the bag closed again and just head straight for the door. Knowing you’ll have to leave it unlocked when you go makes you a little uneasy. It’s a dangerous time right now. But almost everyone here can defend themselves if they need to. You’re only taking one COMP with you, after all.

Then, just as you’ve started to pull your boots on, you manage to catch it from the other side of the door. Kaido’s voice. At least, you  _ think _ it’s him. It’s hard to tell, you can barely hear it at all. You freeze for a few seconds, but when it’s clear the door isn’t gonna just burst open, you inch closer and try to listen in. You can’t leave with someone right outside, and if it’s not Kaido, then you’ll have to tell  _ someone  _ that there’s people hanging around.

Fortunately, with a closer listen, you can tell right away it’s him. 

“-you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want,” he says, “But talking about it might help you relax a little. I mean, it  _ has _ been keeping you up.”

“...It’s just a message from my cousin, that’s all.” You let out a soft sigh. So that’s where Grumpy Guy is. At least you don’t have to worry about him catching you now.

“You can still get messages on that thing?” 

You blink, and look back at the COMP in your own hands. Does that guy still have his own with him now...? But then whose is this... no, it doesn’t matter. Whether it’s someone else’s or just a spare, it’s your’s now. Actually, if it’s a spare, that’s even better. You won’t be inconveniencing them at all in that case.

“Ah. Kind of. It’s a... pretty new app. And it has a really limited range, so it’s not good for much.” A pause, then the sound of him leaning back against the door. “Especially since the prick’s not telling me where he is or what he’s doing. He may as well not even bother.”

“Maybe he doesn’t want you to worry.”

He snorts. “I doubt it. If that was it, he could just drop the whole cryptic act and  _ talk _ to me.” You almost don’t catch what he mumbles out next. “...But it’s not like that’s anything new.”

“...Yeah, I know the feeling. Whatever the reason, it sucks being kept out of the loop by someone you care about. Have you tried asking him to meet up with you somewhere, at least?” And now sounds like he’s leaning against the door too. This doesn’t seem like a talk that’s gonna end quickly, either. If you don’t want to sit around eavesdropping until they decide to come back in, you’re gonna need another way out.

You scan back behind you quickly, but there’s no doors, and you don’t want to try sneaking out one of the bedroom windows while Amane’s there. Then your eye catches on the kitchen - there was a window there too, right? It might be tricky since it was over the sink, but you think you can manage that. You head over to check quickly, putting speed over silence now that you know those two aren’t lurking around inside somewhere. With only a little creaking you open it up and check what the drop looks like. No balcony, but you’re only on the second story. You’ve handled worse heights than that once or twice. And there’s no way someone would bother climbing all the way up just to break in. You start smiling a little, and heave the window up as high as it’ll go, and carefully ease yourself down into dropping to the ground.

You wince a little from the impact, but shake your head and finished lacing up your boots. When you’re done, you take another look at the COMP in your hand. Gin mentioned having to fight a demon before he could use his. You don’t know for sure if it’ll be the same for you, but just in case you should go somewhere else before you start it up. The two outside might not have heard you so far, but they’d definitely notice that, and even Grumpy would try to help you in that case.

But there’s no point to having this COMP if you can’t even beat one demon on your own.

With a small nod to yourself, you pocket your COMP and head further into the dark between buildings. Time to get out of their hair. If you can win and stand on your own, maybe you can start living up to the risks Gin and those three took to help you. But if all you can be is dead weight, you at least won’t make anyone else be responsible for it.


	12. Day 3, part 1

When you first wake up, it doesn’t particularly stand out to you that Haru isn’t there. You have enough experience with restless sleepers that when the realization catches up to you, you just assume Haru’s one of them. You have to admit, even you had a bit of difficulty getting comfortable with the arrangements. When you get up to check the rest of the apartment, you see you’re in the majority. Only Gin and Loki are still sleeping where they’re supposed to - Naoya’s already awake too, sitting at the kitchen table by himself and charging his COMP.

“Good morning,” you say to him, softly enough not to wake up anyone else, “Did you sleep at all?”

He looks over at you and sets the hand-crank charger down to rubs at his eyes. “A little, here and there. You?”

“Well, it took a while, but once I fell asleep I managed alright.” You glance around the main room again. You don’t hear any movement in the apartment, now that you think about it. “Did Nikaido and Haru go out somewhere together?”

Naoya glances at the front door, and says, “Kaido went out a few minutes ago, yeah, but not Haru. Wasn’t she with you?”

“No, she was already up before me - you didn’t see her?”

“Weird. But maybe I just missed her or something.” He yawns. “Not exactly the best look-out this morning.” His finger starts tapping against the COMP in front of him. “...Hey, Amane. Can I ask you something, about yesterday?”

You pause, then take a seat at the table across from him. “What about it?”

“I didn’t really want to ask in front of the tag-alongs, but...” He doesn’t lift his eyes from the COMP while he speaks. “What do you think about what Yuzu said? About Kazuya, I mean.”

Truthfully, the whole scene is something you’ve been thinking about ever since it happened, to some degree or another. It’s too important not to. But though you want to be considerate to Naoya’s feelings, this isn’t something you can gloss over. “I think if what she said is true, and Kazuya is really responsible for the Lockdown and her current condition... there’s no excuse I can imagine that could make up for it. That goes for my father as well, of course.” Just thinking about it makes something cold harden in you. “It’s unforgivable.”

Naoya doesn’t say anything right away. Then, quietly, “I keep trying to remember... if I could’ve said anything to make him think I wanted him to do this.” He slumps forward, putting his forehead in his hand. “I don’t really _like_ people, sure, but I would never have-”

“I know, don’t worry,” you say, putting a hand over his free one. “Kazuya is the only one responsible for his actions. Neither of us would think you had anything to do with it.”

After a few seconds, he nods and starts to say something, when you hear from outside- “You can’t keep doing this!” The two of you jump, and with a shared glance, decide to go see what’s going on. You don’t want to eavesdrop, but with tensions in the city only getting worse, you can’t just assume the shouting isn’t a big deal. And when you crack open the door, you’re met with Nikaido and Mari Mochizuki, evidently in the middle of a fight.

“You found something out, haven’t you? I at least deserve to know what it is,” he says, gripping the rail on the edge of the walkway, “Even if it’s dangerous, he was my brother-”  

More stony than her usual composure,  Mari simply says, “And he wouldn’t want you getting involved in this. You’re not prepared for what’s going on, and it’s my responsibility to make sure you don’t have to be.” She sighs, “You should know, after all these years, that I’m better fit to handle it.”

He flinches, looks down. “I could at least _help_...”

“No, you can’t. I’m sorry, but you’d just add to the risks. If you want to help, then stay out of the way and leave this all up to me.”

She turns and leaves, and Nikaido watches her go for a few minutes, all the tension in his body slowly unwinding into resignation, and something you think might be guilt. Then he turns and sees the two of you and nearly jumps out of his skin with a squawk.

“What the _hell-_ how long were you two watching?”

“Just a few minutes,” you say.

Naoya adds, “Ever since you were loud enough to hear from the kitchen.”

Nikaido’s face runs an interesting gambit from shock, to frustration, to embarrassment, before finally settling on regret. “Sorry... you guys shouldn’t have had to see that.”

Mari has never struck you as a cruel person in your admittedly limited interactions, but you can’t help feeling somewhat concerned. “Do you mind asking what kind of relationship you have? If she’s troubling you, maybe we could speak to her about it.”

“Oh... oh, no it’s nothing like that.” He waves a hand, back to looking embarrassed now. “We’ve been friends since we were little kids - she even used to date my older brother.” He hesitates, and says, “I... guess you could say she’s like a sister to me?” with a face that suggests the entire concept of sisters confuses him. Then he shakes his head and sighs. “It’s just... my brother was killed a few months ago. It’s been really hard on her, so things are kinda complicated between us.”

Naoya’s eyes widen a little, then he crosses his arms. “And you? Something like that can’t have been any easier on you.”

Nikaido blinks. Then looks down and rubs the back of his neck. “That’s... well, I mean... I’ve been keeping busy, so-”

Loki lets out a yawn from the sofa. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Never mind,” Nikaido shakes his head and asks, “By the way, are you three going out today? It might be cramped, but it’s fine if you just want to bunker down until the Lockdown lifts.”

You shake your head. “Thank you for the offer, but we have to meet up with some people later. Also,” you add, looking out through the open door one last time, “Have you seen Haru anywhere? She was gone when I woke up.”

Nikaido almost jumps at that, and tells you he hasn’t seen her either. The three of you check the apartment, but there really isn’t much to check. When Gin wakes up, Loki takes him out to look around the neighborhood, but even before they report back that there’s been no sign of her, you have a bad feeling. The kitchen window was opened during the night, and when Naoya notices his bag was opened and the spare COMP you’d picked up is missing, all the pieces fall together.

 

* * *

 

After another few rounds of searching and calling her name, the four of you decide to head out and talk privately. You all assure Nikaido that you’ll be careful and keep an eye out for her. He, likewise, says he’ll stay near the apartment for the next few hours in case she comes back. As soon as you all manage to get out of view of his building, Gin turns to Naoya and says, “Why’d you just have one of those laying around? She might’ve been killed just by turning it on! We gotta hurry and try to find her, fast!”

“First of all, it wasn’t just ‘lying around’, it was in my bag. Which is at least better hidden than just keeping it in a pocket, she'd never have found it if she hadn't deliberately gone through my things without asking.” Gin bristled and started to speak, but Naoya didn’t give him room to. “Anyway, you saw her Clock last night. It was at a four, like your’s. If you want to go looking for her, by all means, go for it. But we’re stuck at zero, if we get involved it might just make it worse.”

You frown at the reasoning. It’s not wrong, but you don’t like the idea of just ignoring the problem because your number is low.

“Anyway, Gin, you worry too much!” Loki says, giving him a small bump with his shoulder. “Maybe she beat her first demon with no problem! It’s not like she wouldn’t know what to expect, hanging around you all day.”

Gin starts to waver, anger shifting into a reluctant understanding. “I guess... yeah, that’s a good point. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to find her, just to make sure.” He still looks uneasy. “And I don’t get why she’d even want to in the first place, let alone to run off and do it all secretly. I was protecting her just fine.”

Naoya rolls his eyes, which Gin doesn’t seem to notice. That’s fine with you. “I think the best thing for the three of us to do right now is to keep our eyes open for her,” you say, “And focus on raising our own numbers first. But if you’d rather look for her yourself, that’s alright.”

But Gin shakes his head vehemently. “No, you’re right. I got distracted because it was so out of left field, but you guys need help too.” He beams. “So I’m sticking with you until you’ve all got fours like everyone else.”

Naoya stares. Loki grins. You... have some concerns, but you don’t let them slip out.

“Great! The more the merrier,” Loki says, slinging an arm over Gin’s shoulder, to his very apparent delight.

But despite holding his tongue over Gin’s initial offer, it doesn’t take long for Naoya’s patience to wear thin. It can’t be any longer than half an hour before he’s pulled you and Loki off to the side to hiss, “Are we seriously gonna let him just follow us around all day?”

Loki shrugs. “Why not? It can’t hurt.”

“ _Of course_ it can. How are we supposed to talk about anything with him around? We can’t just keep breaking off into a separate group all the time, he’s gonna get suspicious.”

Loki rolls his eyes. “Hey, revolutionary idea - we can talk to him too. He’s just as stuck here as the rest of us.”

Naoya raises an eyebrow. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

“What do you mean?”

“Look, you know him better than either of us, and even you’ve obviously got stuff you don’t want to share with him. We all noticed how you clammed up about that blog as soon as he asked, that’s not exactly a stellar recommendation.”

You had noticed, but even you think that was said a bit tactlessly. For the first time in awhile, you see genuine frustration turn Loki’s grin into a grimace. “Well gee, if _you_ feel like giving a lecture on Gender 101-”

At least Naoya seems to get it before you have to say anything. He shakes his head quickly. “No, I didn’t mean - I don’t think you _should_ tell him everything. But if you’ve got limits on what you think he should know, then we should all be on the same page about it.”

Loki pauses, but nods and looks a little more at ease. “Yeah, okay, I get what you mean. But stuff like what clothes I like doesn’t have much to do with the Lockdown, you know? What we know about that, I think it’s fine to tell him. Like you said, we should be on the same page. It’s gonna be  super boring always having to correct him.”

The discussion about it is brief - it has to be, the way Gin keeps glancing over at you three with increased impatience - and you all agree that anything to do with the Lockdown in general is fair for Gin to be told about. Naoya even decides that he should know Kazuya was working with the Shomonkai, so he knows how important it is to say something if he sees him. But you have to put your foot down about your own previous involvement in the Shomonkai, and that it’s your father at the helm. That much is a little more personal than you’re comfortable sharing with someone you barely know. It’s not especially important anyway; it doesn’t change that you’re going to stop him, after all.

Gin, to his credit, listens very patiently when you all return to explain to him what you know about the Lockdown. The Shomonkai is behind the spread of the COMPs, and the government clearly knew about demons ahead of time and put the Lockdown in place as an answer to them.

By the time you’re finishing up, he asks, “So you ran into some soldiers in the Asakusa Tunnel... don’t you think it’s worth going back?”

Naoya stares at him blankly. “...Why would we do that? They wanted to shoot us as soon as they saw us.”

“You said it yourself; there were only a couple of soldiers there, and it was totally deserted. They might have given up guarding it if they’re too spread out, and if not, who knows? Maybe they’d be more willing to talk than the ones who have to deal with all the crowds of people trying to get out.”

Naoya shook his head. “Look, you weren’t there. They called us targets and threatened to shoot right off the bat. There’s no point talking to people like that.”

“But if you don’t go back and explain, they’ll just assume the worst, like you said,” Gin insisted, “Look, why don’t we just try? If they seem threatening, we can just run away again.”

“I think it’s worth a try,” you say, trying to keep Naoya from shutting the idea down altogether, “After all, the more information we can get from them, the better.”

“I don’t like it-”

Gin interrupts with a roll of his eyes. “Look, if you’re suspicious of everyone, you’re gonna be wrong eventually. C’mon, take a chance, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Naoya throws back, “What part of ‘we could get killed’ are you not getting?” But Loki slings an arm around his shoulder and pats him.

“Don’t you worry, if anything like that happens, I’ll whisk you away and patch you up before you even have time to complain~ And hey, it’s close by anyway.”

Outnumbered, Naoya finally gives up.

 

* * *

 

The tunnel is just as deserted as yesterday - even more so today, without a single demon crawling around. Even though it’s a little thing and, you suspect, most likely temporary, you still can’t help feel a bit proud knowing that you’ve helped made one area safer. There’s no sign of the soldiers you saw yesterday either. As you all head into the subway, for a moment you can’t help wondering if perhaps Gin was right. Maybe you’d get through the whole thing and come out the other side without running into anyone.

You know you shouldn’t get your hopes up, though. And when you hear the footsteps approaching, you’re almost relieved. At least you know with certainty that this is no kind of escape. Naoya takes a step back, eyeing the woman approaching warily. Before you entered, you’d spotted him rearranging the types of demons on his team, and had followed suit. Genmas and Beasts should help you all get away quickly if you need to, even in as enclosed a space as this one.

The woman is the same one as yesterday, you realize as she steps into a better lit spot - her short orange hair is very distinctive. And just like yesterday, she doesn’t hesitate to aim her gun at you all.

“Stay right there, Demon Tamers! I order you to take those COMPs you have, and use them to send all the demons away immediately! This is your only warning.”

Naoya moves to grab your wrist again, but you step forward, hands plainly empty and held up away from your pockets. “I’m afraid we do not have that ability. We are not members of the Shomonkai - we’ve only been using our COMPs for self-defense, and to protect people.”

She hesitates, eyes narrowing. “If you’re not members, then where did you get those things?”

“We came across them by accident.” Not really a lie, and now probably isn’t the time to explain Kazuya. Especially when you can’t say for sure how much you really know about his involvement. “To be honest, we know very little about how they work.”

You stand in front of her calmly, and silently will the three behind you to follow your lead and just wait for now. Finally, she drops her gun, though there is still a wariness and a tension in how she holds it. You’ve no doubt if one of you moved to attack, her reaction time would have you all beat. Still, she says, “Very well... since you haven’t summoned demons even after being held at gun  point, I’ll trust you.”

You let out a soft sigh and bow your head. “Thank you. I take it, then, you already know about the Shomonkai’s involvement?”

“In a way... we knew that the rise in demon sightings correlates with the Shomonkai’s growth, and we’ve received evidence that supports their involvement. When we heard they were planning a gathering in Tokyo, the Lockdown was put into place.”

From behind, Gin says, sounding incredulous, “You’ve been planning this for that long?”

She shakes her head. “It’s not as long as you might be thinking - we didn’t have much warning, and though you may not believe it, the decision to implement the Lockdown wasn’t made lightly.”

Naoya barks out a laugh. “So you’re blaming all the awful ways people are being treated here on _bad timing_?”

“It’s easy for you to judge,” she says sharply, “But this city isn’t the only one suffering from the Lockdown. The economy’s taken a terrible hit without the capital, and the whole country has been struggling in the aftermath. All those factors had to be considered-”

“Please, none of that changes the fact that for how ‘serious’ this is supposedly being taken, you can’t even distribute food to the people stuck here safely-”

You can see the soldier getting angrier, so you cut him off and ask, “I am curious, if you know that the Shomonkai are behind it, why not just arrest them? Like this, their influence isn’t being dealt with.”

With her focus brought back to you, she seems aware of her slipping self-control and takes a moment to readjust. Then she answers, “Because the Shomonkai isn’t our biggest concern - the demons are. Conventional weapons are no use against them, and believe me, we’ve tried. It’s a miracle we were even able to contain them within the Yamanote Circle like this.” She grits her teeth and glares behind you, at Naoya. “These are the extremes we must go to in order to prevent demonic infestation. We will not let the country fall, no matter what the cost.”

Before anyone can respond, her radio crackles and she answers it. You all wait as she listens to whoever is on the other line. Slowly, a stunned look comes over her face, before giving way briefly to anger as she end the communication. She takes a deep breath, and looks at all of you directly while she says, “A group of demonstrators... was trying to pierce the blockade at Ueno. They all rushed the station and were met with open fire. Ten are dead, a hundred wounded.”

She’s trying to be calm, but you can hear the tremor in her voice. “Do you understand? We knew what kind of risks we were taking by implementing this Lockdown. We don’t have enough supplies. Without electricity, hospital patients have been virtually abandoned. Thousands of innocent civilians are in harm’s way, and we can do nothing to stop it.” Her words are heavy with both conviction and regret, and you can see how tightly she’s holding onto her gun. “But all of that chaos is still preferable to losing the entire nation to demons! Until we find an effective countermeasure, as well as the reasons for their appearance, we cannot end it. We must do anything we can to exterminate their kind, no matter what the cost!”

Naoya just says, tone low, “Is that what’s coming in four days?”

She flinches at that, and almost takes a step back. “How... how do you know... no, I refuse to believe it.” Though she’s still looking at the four of you, she sounds more like she’s talking to herself. “It won’t come to that!”

“Oh? Then you do know what it is,” Loki says, leaning over your shoulder, “The government is going to do something big after all~”

“I am not at liberty to explain further,” she says, tone short and clipped, “Now please, leave. I can’t do anything for you now, and I don’t want to shoot you.”

You nod. “Very well. We’ll be back, if we find any information that can help.”

She blinks, looking surprised, and says, “...Thank you. I’m Captain Izuna Misaki, with the anti-demon forces. If you come here and someone else is on duty, give them my name, and I’ll speak with you personally.”

You bow your head, and turn to look at the other three in case they have something else to say. No one does, and you all wait until you’re out of the subway to say anything else. Once you’re out in the open air, though, Loki hums and looks up at the sky, and says, “Well, she says all that, but what the heck is she gonna be able to do about _Beldr_? Unless the army’s got a mistletoe canon laying around, that guy’s not gonna be stopped by some dumb blockade.”

Gin looks over at him, confused. “Beldr? Who’s that?”

Loki elbows him in the ribs. “C’mon, you should know already.”

“...Uh, why would I?”

Naoya rolls his eyes. “Didn’t you read the Laplace mail this morning? It’s the only event on the list...”

You could swear Gin’s hair bristled at the jab. “ _No_ , I _didn’t_ , actually, because I have no idea what the hell a ‘Laplace mail’ is.”

“Eh? We’ve been getting one every morning... here, take a look.” Loki opens up his COMP, and shares his e-mail list with Gin. His confusion only grows as he reads through it. “They’ve predicted everything right so far, though we’ve been able to fight our way into changing the end details, obviously.”

“I’ve... I’ve never gotten anything like this.” He opens up his own COMP to check, frowning and increasingly frustrated. “But it doesn’t really say much at all - like, it doesn’t even mention me or Haru in it. And Haru was gonna die a few days ago, but that’s not in there at all.”

Naoya grows pensive, and you wonder. If it’s something only the three of you have, is it also mentioning events that are specifically a threat to you three? Kazuya seems truly insistent on helping you all with these things. But whatever goodwill you may be inclined to give him is doused thoroughly when you remember Yuzu Tanikawa’s stiff movements and empty eyes.

_‘The things that have been done in your name.’_

Like Naoya, you can’t stop thinking about it, but you also just can’t understand it. Even if it was true that somehow, all of this was supposed to help Naoya in some unfathomable way, how could Kazuya think it was worth it to risk all these lives? How could he possibly see all these people as acceptable losses? You could, in a way, understand your father's goals, even if you agreed with them just as little. Compared to all of humanity, a city would be just a small price. But this...

You can’t understand it. You don’t want to.

“Well, I guess predicting the future at all is really impressive,” Gin admits, continuing like he hasn’t noticed the silence that’s fallen in the group, “But what are we gonna do about Beldr? Like, how strong is a demon that can kill three hundred people?”

Loki waves a hand, grinning. “Oh don’t worry about that; all we need is some mistletoe!”

Gin raised an eyebrow. “Mistletoe...?”

“According to myth,” Loki said, drawing himself up and taking an authoritative tone, “The entire world made a vow not to injure Beldr. All except for one thing - the devil’s fuge, better known as mistletoe. Of course, in exchange for immortality, your own weakness tends to be really, really bad. Ever heard of Achilles?”

“...No? Why would I-”

“Well never mind, it’s the same idea. One day, when all the gods were having fun throwing things at Beldr and watching everything be harmlessly repelled, the wicked Loki tricked his brother into throwing a sprig of mistletoe at him, and he died instantly.”

“Wait, ‘Loki’?”

“His _blind_ brother, even.” Loki snickered. “What can I say? The guy was a piece of work.”

Gin squints at him. “So that’s where you got this nickname from. Sheesh, he sounds like a total creep. Why would you want to call yourself that?”

Loki shrugs. “ _I_ like it. Besides, he had other cool stories too. Like, for example-”

“We really don’t have time for this,” Naoya interrupted, “But he’s right. If this Beldr is who we think he is, then mistletoe is the only thing that’ll stop him. We need to focus on finding that.” He looks over at you. “That and finding Midori. Her number should be down to zero today, too.”

Right... you take a breath, and nod firmly. The government and Shomonkai and Kazuya may have made their choices, but so have you. Even if you can’t save everyone right now, you won’t see the people trapped in here as disposable, no matter what. You refuse to.


	13. Day 3, part 2

No one person can do everything. _That’s_ a lesson you had to learn the hard way growing up. You couldn’t protect every bullied kid you came across. You couldn’t fight for your understanding of justice without compromise or blowback. You couldn’t hold up under that blowback all alone. And with the end of the lockdown looking increasingly uncertain, you had to decide what you really want to spend your time doing. Shadowing the Shomonkai in the faint hope of finding something out about Aya, or keeping Midori safe.

It was no decision at all, if you’re honest. It would’ve been a long shot in the first place, and Midori’s the one who’s still here, who’s relying on you and whatever help you can offer her. Aya would have understood.

The situation is just getting more and more dangerous, after all. You saw the protest at Ueno earlier today. You’ve struggled for the dropped-off food along with everyone else and seen the fights breaking out. There’s no way you can just go about your own business and assume everything will turn out fine for her.  

Especially since when it came to every difficult lesson you learned in high school, Midori staunchly refused to absorb any of them. Or... no, you think that’s not being fair to her. She learned them. You saw, you were there with her, after all. But she still insists on behaving like they don’t matter.

And if she won’t give herself limitations, you’ll have to do it for her. There’s just too many people in need in this city, and she can’t help all of them. Neither of you are even really equipped to, when you get down to it. You’re better off than she was, getting stuck here unexpectedly, but even you only have what’s in your apartment. There’s already not enough food to go around, and your first aid kit won’t stretch far. Realistically speaking, there isn’t anything she could do to help people who were most in need. But when you tried to point this out to her, she’d just said, “Well, I can still sing for them, can’t I?”

That carried its own dangers - you know there’s more than a few fans of her’s that have gotten far too invested in her stage persona - but when you’d tried to caution her on that, she’d put her foot down.

Well. If she can be stubborn, then so can you. You may not make a very intimidating bodyguard, but any kind of protection is better than none. Even when she pouted and claimed she just wanted some alone time to work on her new song idea, you insisted on coming along. You’d even argued that she didn’t actually need a new one right now. That could all wait until after the lockdown; it’d be easier to just stick with her usual set. But the way she grinned and insisted that getting to hear a special song written just for the people here would cheer anyone up was hard to argue with.

That’s what it always comes down to with her, you guess. You don’t _want_ to argue or dampen her idealism, not when she’s so enthusiastic. It’s something you admire about her. Her unwavering commitment to acting the way she thinks will do the most good. Maybe it’s not the smartest way to live, and maybe it’s not something you could ever imitate again. But if you can help her stay safe when she decides to act, then you can’t really regret the ways you’ve changed either.

That’s why you don’t think of it as being impulsive when you climb up onto the stage as the monsters start crawling appearing from the surrounding trees, encroaching through the rows of seats before the stage. It’s part of the responsibility you chose. With no hesitation and nothing to fight with, you place yourself between her and those taunting, hungry eyes. You shout at her to run and hide, and refuse to budge no matter how much she pulls at you to run with her. They call out for the singer, you can understand that much in between their growls and snarling, and you tell her again to run.

You don’t know what you would have done if those kids didn’t shown up to help. Or, well, you know exactly what you would have done, you just _really_ don’t want to think about the consequences and how close they came.

At first, despite their help, you want to be suspicious. You do recognize them from a couple of days ago, and you can’t help find it odd that they’d be looking for Midori again. Especially since they were able to save you two because they summoned demons themselves.

But the weight in your inner coat pocket feels especially heavy when you notice the COMPs in their hands. It... couldn’t really be that easy, could it? That _simple_? You’d never have even guessed... And when Midori reacts with complete ease and gratitude, you decide to go along with her instincts on them. You have to find out what they know about this.

With the area cleared out, she runs to the four teenagers, to shake all their hands with gusto. You try to remember if you’ve heard their names as she goes along, but Amane is the only one who’s really stuck. Maybe the tall one was ‘Naoya’? And... were there four of them earlier? You could’ve sworn there were only three last time you ran into them.

“Thank you so, so much! Now you didn’t just save me, you saved Keisuke too!“ She finishes shaking the tall kid’s hand so hard he grimaces, and abruptly turns around to you and pulls on both your cheeks. “Keisuke, you dummy! You should’ve run when I told you!”

“Shouldn’t that be my line?” you say, smiling weakly once she lets go.

She puffs out her cheeks. “No! No it should not! We could’ve both gotten away if you hadn’t been so stubborn.”

You really doubt that. Instead of continuing your argument with a wall, you turn to the group and bow your head to them. “Thank you all very much. We both owe you for all your help.”

The boy with piercings grins and says, “In that case, how about some free tickets-”  

“-No, it’s quite alright, we’re just glad to have helped.” Amane cuts him off with a pointed stare before turning back to the two of you, “Both of you, really. It’s a relief to see you’ve been holding up alright, considering the circumstances.”

Midori nods, ponytail bobbing so hard it almost hits you. “Well, naturally! I mean, you can’t start feeling down just because things are getting difficult.” She beams. “That’s when you have to start working extra hard to be positive! Though it looks like you guys are doing a better job of hero-ing than me. You even got a new team member!”

The guy with curly hair laughs a little. “Is that what I am?”

“That’s right! Four brave young heroes fighting against otherworldly invaders for the lives of everyone in the lockdown... you should have a name!” She gasps, eyes sparkling, “Then everyone could rally around you and feel safer and-”

“Midori,” you interrupt, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder, “You shouldn’t make them feel responsible for the whole lockdown. This isn’t an easy situation, they must have their own worries to deal with.”

“Oh! Sorry... I didn’t mean to pressure on you.” She laughs, a little bashful. “I wasn't one-hundred percent serious, but... everything that’s been going on doesn’t feel totally real, you know? So I guess I got carried away there.”

As Amane reassures her that it’s fine, Naoya - you’re almost certain that’s what the tall kid’s name is - clears his throat. “Actually, there’s something more important we wanted to talk you about. Yesterday, we ran into a guy that claimed to be looking for you.”

“Really? What did he want?”

“Well, he said he wanted to give you a role in his movie, but,” he says sharply just as Midori’s eyes start to widen, “That was _definitely_ a lie. When we tried to get more information, he didn’t give much away, but he seemed pretty desperate. I think he could be dangerous.”

His friend with the piercings leans in and says, “C’mon, don’t sugar-coat it. The guy was ranting about demons and all kinds of crap. He’s probably some kind of nutty fan who thinks you’re his savior or something.”

You don’t like the look on Midori’s face when she hears that, and step forward to say, “Understood. We’ll be more careful going around the city. Right, Midori?”

She pouts at you, but says, “Yeah, I know, don’t worry.”

With the message delivered, the group excuses themselves and starts to walk away, but Midori stops Amane for a second to talk. You take the chance to pull Naoya aside. He kind of jerks away when you touch him, but he does stop and lets you ask, “That COMP you have - where did you get it?”

When he hears that, his face kind of closes up. “Not the Shomonkai, if that’s what you’re asking-”

“No, I figured that much. But... does it really let you summon demons?”

He pauses. That’s enough confirmation for you. “...Look, don’t try to get one. Even just starting one up’s really dangerous, and it’s not like anyone’s just handing them out.” He glances over at Midori, and then says, “You’ve got an apartment, right? The safest thing would be to just stay inside as much as you can for now.”

You let him leave to catch up with the two others. You know enough for now. Midori seems to notice the rest of the group leaving, and says, “Okaaay, I don’t wanna hold you up. But really, don’t just wait until I’m about to be demon food to talk to me next time, promise?”

Amane nods and smiles at her. “Of course. Take care of yourself until then.”

Once they’re all out of sight, and presumably earshot, you turn to Midori with a frown. “That sounds like this has happened to you more than once.”

She looks down, briefly guilty, then quickly brushes over it with, “Only one other time.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to scare you, obviously!” She crosses her arms with emphasis. “Besides, I didn’t think you’d believe me... I mean, you never believed in demons and ghosts and that kind of thing the way Aya did.”

You wince. She has a point. You’d never think she was lying, but before now you _would_ probably have assumed she got attacked by animals or people tricking her if she’d told you about all this. And the mention of Aya dredges up it’s own issues you still haven’t put to rest. “Still, from now on, tell me if something happens. I’ll believe you, I promise.”

“Okay, okay, I got it... but anyway,” she says, pulling an about-face in attitude as she climbs back up onto the stage, pumping her fist in the air, “It’s all good now! The amazing Magical Dolly won’t be brought down so easily by something like demons- yeagh!” As she stomps her foot down to complete her pose, it slips out from under her and she crashes right to the ground.

You jump up onto the stage to help her up. “Midori? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just... huh?” She touches part of the floor, more baffled than pained. “Is this ice...?”

“Hee-hoo! I brought down the magic pink hee-human!”

You start, and from off the right wing, there’s a little snow man-looking demon standing with an oversized fist in the air, ice crystals still drifting around it. This time your hand goes right to the inner pocket of your coat, but Midori moves past you and kneels down in front of it before you can do anything.

“Hey, what’re you doing here all alone?” She smiles, resting her chin in her hands. “Y’know, you’re pretty good at mimicking! Did you really want to see me dance that badly you waited around?”

It jumps back, as if realizing how close she was all at once. “I don’t hee-know what you mean, ho! This is your attack, righ-hee-t?”

“Nope, sorry, that’s just a pose.” She stands up, putting her hands on her hips, and giving a confident grin. “It’s not a bad one, but I know _way_ better moves than just that - want me to show you?”

The little demon blinks, tilting it’s head. “Show-hee ho? Me?”

“Yeah! That’s rule number one when it comes to dancing.” She steps back into crossing her legs, spins tightly and ends with her signature crossed fingers pose. “When you’ve got someone dancing with you, it’s always more fun!”

For a second, the demon grubles and glares, and crouches in what looks like prepping for an attack. You get ready to pull her back and get out of here, but then the demons gives a much-too-enthusiastic spin and falls over from the force of it.

 “Oh, that was a good first try! You’ve got a lot of energy, that’s great for learning.” Midori crouches a little, extending a hand to help the demon up. It looks up at her, still a little wary, but puts its oversized square-fingered hand in her’s and lets her help it up. “Okay, let’s try again. I’ll go slower this time, so watch carefully...”

You step back, your unease with the impromptu dance lesson giving way to fond admiration. It figures. If there was anyone in the world who could befriend a demon without even batting an eye, it’d definitely be Midori.

Though... maybe Aya could have too.

You settle into leaning against the side of the stage, so you can still keep an eye on them in case something goes wrong, but your thoughts are already drifting. Aya _had_ always believed in demons. For as long as you’d known her, she’d always gotten excited over the supernatural. To her, it was all mysteries that made the world even more fascinating.

Guilt rises into your throat as you remember when she tried talking to you about the Shomonkai. Told you that they’d approached her about something interesting. And you’d brushed it off. Everything you’d heard about them sounded shady, and you’d told her they were probably just looking for people to scam. She was a minor celebrity, thanks to her work as an idol, they could have thought her an easy way to bring more people in. And she hadn’t argued with you about it, but... she hadn’t really agreed either.

It had been a while ago, and it was the only time she’d brought them up to you. You don’t want to jump to conclusions or act recklessly. Maybe it was just a coincidence that the Shomonkai and demons were both here now, after she’d disappeared. But no matter how logically you try to think it through, you can’t shake the feeling that coincidence has nothing to do with it.

And if it was true that someone was after Midori, targeting her, then there’s only one source you can imagine. If you’re right, if the Shomonkai really did something to Aya, wouldn’t it make sense for them to come after Midori too? You should have expected something like this. And there’s no way you could fight them all off just on your own...

As you watch Midori and her new friend, your hand goes to the inside pocket of your coat, where your COMP is. You’d felt it was too suspicious to even use, the way that guy had just handed it to you on the street, but you couldn’t get rid of it either. It’d just been a feeling. Another one you couldn’t get rid of, no matter how you tried to reason it out. But if even teenagers could use it to fight, then you had to try.

You don’t want to charge into anything blindly. But if your right... then your two choices may never have been two at all. Maybe the only way to really make sure Midori is safe, is to make sure the Shomonkai can never get their hands on her.


	14. Day 3, part 3

Under other circumstances, you might have been a little more excited about meeting a celebrity. But with things as they were, you couldn’t help but feel like it was... kind of a distraction. Not that you weren’t happy to help that girl and her friend, of course not. But Haru was who you were really worried about, despite all of Naoya’s platitudes.

You don’t really expect him to understand, though - none of them do, deep down. They just didn’t get that Haru was your responsibility. You’d worked so hard to take care of her, make sure she was safe and didn’t have to worry about anything. And right when you thought you’d managed to pull it off and could relax just a little bit... ah, but you definitely don’t blame _her_. Not at all. It’s the COMP being there in the first place that was the problem. Those guys should’ve just smashed it when they first picked it up, not carried it around with them, when anyone could swipe it and it could cause more problems.

Especially after what that soldier said. You shudder, and try not to let your imagination get away with you. But people _were_ killed for trying to escape; what if Haru tried to escape by using the COMP? You’d all passed by Ueno, but the demonstrators had long cleared out, and there was no sign of any bodies, let alone a familiar one. _Someone_ had to have cleared them away. You hope it was the soldiers. You don’t want to think those people were just- just left lying there for the demons to get to.

That thought brings with it a whole slew of unpleasant branches, and you shake your head to dispel them. If that was what happened then... there probably wasn’t any way for you to know. So there was no point in thinking about it.

Though maybe you could be more optimistic if there were so goddamn _many_ demons running around today. Yesterday they’d been a bit of a nuisance until they’d exploded in front of the mall, but now it felt like you couldn’t go a few blocks without running into some Yuki Jyoru or group of Pyro Jacks. Demons flying overhead was becoming a common sight, and no matter how many times your group tried to weed them down, go another few dozen feet, and you’d find _another_ group of them waiting to pounce.

You hated the idea of leaving them around to attack someone with fewer defenses, but even you had to admit it just wasn’t realistic to fight them all. There were too many, you _had_ to just cut and run sometimes, or you’d wear yourselves out way too fast.

“It’s weird,” you’d said, after a particularly nasty bout, “There’s already plenty of them, and Izuna admitted regular weapons don’t work on them. Why are they even bothering to stay in the circle?”

“Maybe they just like having their prey all stuck in one place,” Naoya had answered. _That_ sure did wonders for your outlook.

No, focus on the positives. Come on. After all, your teammates were still helping you look for Haru. That was a good thing. Four pairs of eyes - five, if you counted Kaido back up at his place - were better than one. Even if they were cutting their time with looking for that devil’s fuge thing too.

...They _could_ prioritize Haru a little more, in your opinion. You still don’t really get why they’re putting so much importance on this plant in the first place. Sure, you guess you understand why they’d want to try it, but treating it like a one-stop solution? They didn’t even know if that old story was right, let alone if this demon was even the same thing as the Beldr in the story. If they spent all day looking for the plant, and then it didn’t do anything, they didn’t have a plan B at all.

But, well, Shirou - it’s even harder to think of him as ‘Loki’ knowing the origin of that nickname, you just can’t take it seriously at all - sure is enthusiastic about it. You know there’s no way to reason with him when he’s in this kind of mood, though, and you don’t really want to be a wet blanket.

You sigh, eyeing him with a familiar mix of fondness and exasperation. He did always liked ghost stories and things like that, so you guess myths _would_ be right up his alley, even foreign ones, once he caught wind of them. In a way it was kind of cute that he’d get so enthusiastic about something weird like this. It suited him.

But... still, that leaves the question of why his high school friends knew about these kinds of things. You spare a quick glance over at Naoya and Amane. You guess girls like fortune telling and charms, but Amane didn’t seem like the kind of giddy, playful girls who you sometimes saw circling a desk to predict which boy liked who. And even more than her, you can’t even imagine why Naoya would care about any of that.

Actually. Isn’t it weird he and Amane are friends in the first place? She’s, like, actually _nice_. And you haven’t seen him be anything but snippy with her. Even if he’s just that kind of person, there’s no reason she should have to put up with it. Maybe you’ll talk to her about it later...

The time ticks by as you all walk up and down the various neighborhoods, asking anyone vaguely approachable whether they’ve seen Haru. Oh, and the plant, too. It takes the better part of two hours, and a couple of false leads, until finally a lead comes to you.

“Hey,” an older woman says, deep bags under her eyes and a harried look to her, “You’re the kids looking for a red-headed girl, right? Wearing a black hoodie?”

You practically jump at her, you’re so relieved to finally hear _something_. “Yeah! Have you seen her?”

She flinches back from your enthusiasm, then says, glancing over her shoulder warily, “She’s over in Ikebukuro, but I’m telling you right now. You should stay away from her, for your own safety.”

Amane steps forward, eye narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, that girl is... she’s some kind of monster! I’ve seen her with my own eyes - she called out a pair of demons right in the middle of the street, and started throwing these huge shards of ice around, by herself!” The woman twisted her purse strap, biting her lower lip. “If you think you can stop her, I hope you can. But please, be careful.”

You’re so stunned by the vitriol that you don’t think to stop her leaving, and the woman just flat out runs past your group. It’s like she can’t get far enough away.

“Well, that has to be her!” Shirou says, already heading past you towards the direction the woman had come from, “We better hurry before she moves on.” He glances over his shoulder at you with a kind of smirk. “Though if she’s gonna keep being that flashy, it probably won’t take long for us to hear about her from someone else too. Lucky, huh?”

You don’t know if he’s goading you on purpose or not, but it sure works. You bolt ahead of them all, COMP already out as you run straight for Ikebukuro.

 

* * *

 

 She’s not hard to find, once you get close enough. She's taking up the whole street with her fight. There’s two Cat Saiths at her side, swords drawn and flinging fire and electricity at a group of demons trying to get close enough to box her in. Haru's not exactly making that hard for them. She isn’t moving much, you notice, only enough to dodge the stray attack that gets through her two guards.

It’s not a good idea, you can tell even from here that there’s too many for her to fight by herself. When you see a Nekomata slip past her demons and claw at her face, you shout her name and bring out your demons. Power emerges with a bang, knocking the Nekomata aside with its spear, and placing its armored self firmly between her and the demons. Basilisk curls itself around your shoulders, body crackling with lightning. You charge in, forcing a Yuki Jyoru back with a Brual Hit.

“Haru,” you say, taking the brief respite to look back at her, “It’s okay, I’m here to help you-”

“You don’t have to.” She stands back up, wipes at the cuts on her face with her sleeve, and simply goes back to the fight. One of her demons pauses to turn and cast a healing spell on her, but it’s like she doesn’t notice that either. She just keeps fighting, flinging ice attacks at anything that gets too close, like she’s being moved by her attacks rather than the other way around. You have to step away from her - she’s not exactly careless, but her attacks have a wide range and you don’t want to get in the way.

Well, regardless, you came here to help her, and that’s just what you’re going to do. She won’t be able to fight all of these on her own anyway, you know that just from looking. There’s too many.

From the corner of your eye, you catch sight of your team finally catching up. Took them long enough... you wave an arm. “Guys, I found her! Over here!”

She starts, follows your line of sight, and asks, “You brought all of them with you?”

You blink at her. “Of course. I mean, we were all worried about where you went."

“...You didn’t have to,” she says, looking away from all of you and kicking a Yuki Jyoru who gets too close. “I had a COMP with me, I was fine.”

“Oh c’mon, you couldn’t do all this by yourself,” you insist. She doesn’t answer, just focuses more on the fight. Fair enough, you guess, getting distracted now was a bad idea. Fortunately, cleaning out the street doesn’t take much longer with five of you working together.

Unfortunately, during the fight Haru doesn’t say anything else, and when it’s done, she just says, “Thanks, see you guys around,” and tries to walk away. You grab her shoulder and make her stay to talk to her.

“Haru, why are you even doing this? These fights are really dangerous, and you’re attracting attention-”

She shrugs your hand off and says simply, “They were cornering a woman and her kid. I was able to help them get away. Just trying to pay the favor forward.”

Your eyes widen, and you grab her to make her turn around, “I didn’t help you so you could keep putting yourself in danger! We already have COMPs, you can leave all that up to us!”

She still won’t look at you. Her bangs hang in her face and her voice is little more than a mumble, and she won’t look at you. “Why is it okay for you to fight, but not me?”

And then, of course, Naoya just has to open his mouth. “You’ve seen the numbers over everyone’s heads, right? Your’s used to be four. It’s already down to one since last night." You feel your heart start to pound when you hear that. And Naoya'd been so sure she'd be okay - that was a huge change! This was even more important than you'd thought. "Pretty obvious that the COMP's to blame.”

“So?”

“ _So_ , that’s a Death Clock. It counts how many days you have left.” Naoya seems to notice how harsh he sounds, because he eases off and says, “It's a warning, and if you keep this up, you’ll die tomorrow.”

That seems to get through, but then she narrows her eyes at the space over your head. “But...  your’s is zero. All of you...”

Naoya crosses his arms. “Yeah, and raising it is a pain in the ass. You’re lucky all you have to do is stop using your COMP and stay out of the fighting to get it back up.”

Haru looks at all of you carefully. She seems to be thinking, turning over what Naoya’s said, and then finally shrugs again and turns away. “I don’t care. This is more important.”

You try again, to hold her back, as you say, “What’s that supposed to mean? You could die-”, but this time she slaps your hand away and glares at you so fiercely, you’re left gaping at her.

“I already said, _I don’t care_ .” She puts her COMP in the pouch of her hoodie, and turns away from you with a sense of finality. “And anyway. If the number can be changed, it can’t be _that_ meaningful. You shouldn’t worry about me anymore.” She starts to leave, and you don’t know what to say to stop her. How can she not understand how serious this is? What can you say to make her realize?

It’s Amane who takes a few steps forward, and calls over to her, “Haru, please, at least be more careful with how you fight.” That, at least, makes her pause and look back, giving Amane a chance to continue, “People are already nervous. If they see you summoning demons for any reasons, they’ll jump to conclusions. Even if you mean to help, it can be dangerous.”

She pauses, looks down at the ground. You just barely hear her say, “I know,” before she keeps walking, turning a corner and heading off to who knows where.

“Well. That didn’t go as planned,” Shirou says, leaning against Naoya, who just stands there, watching her go. But for once, you don’t blame him. You feel like all the wind’s been knocked out of you after that.

Amane sighs. “Maybe we should have just asked her to stay and fight with us instead. At least then we could help her do it more safely.”

“No way, she’d just be in more danger if we did that,” you say firmly. “I mean, she’s right. We’re at zero. She’s at least still got one, right?” You look at Naoya, who seems surprised at being addressed, and nods. You sigh and look after the direction she left. “The only way for her to be safe is to not fight at all. Especially with that immortal Beldr demon about to show up. There’s no way she’d be ready to fight him, she only just started.”

Naoya still doesn’t say anything, but he at least looks like he’s thinking. After a few second, he says, “If she’s decided she wants to fight, then we really can’t _make_ her stop. The only way to do that would be to break her COMP and force her to give it up. That’s not exactly gonna win us any points with her.”

“It doesn’t matter if she likes me or not,” you try to protest, “What matters is if she’s _safe-_ ”

“And if she’s determined to do this, then she can just go out hunting for another COMP next time your back is turned! Driving her further away isn’t gonna fix the actual problem, it’s just gonna make it worse.”

You snort. “Then tell me, if you know so much about her, how _do_ we fix it?”

He falters. “That’s-”

“Hey, I’ve got an idea!” Shirou butts in, leaning against you heavily enough to push you a step back. “The people she’s spooked are spreading a pretty nasty image of her, right? Well, we should try to fix that! Tell everyone about the brave and noble girl who’s using the demons’ own strength against them. If we let a rumor like _that_ get around, we might help people warm up to her before they come face-to-face with a bunch of Cat Saith swords.”

Finally. Something you can actually do now, instead of pushing off indefinitely until the next set of problems gets solved. You grin, putting an arm around Shirou’s shoulders. “Yeah, sounds like a great idea!”

 

* * *

 

It was a completely useless idea.

Oh, you tried. Once you started actually listening for rumors, they weren’t hard to find. Everyone in the lockdown wanted something new to talk about. Something to distract them from the actual problems. But every time you started to say something that you thought might change their minds, the person would shut you down.

_“There’s no way demons could do any good at all!”_

_“A person who’s allied with them is just looking out for themselves. They don’t care about us.”_

_“It’s not just the demons. She’s using weird powers too. She must have sold her soul to them for power.”_

_“You can’t trust someone like that.”_

You try to reason with them, all of them, but trying to be calm lets them brush you off, and getting upset leads to them getting suspicious and inevitably asking why you care about this so much. One even noticed the COMP in your pocket and tried to grab it away from you. You’d all had to leave to avoid getting caught up in another fight, though a bitter part of you can’t help but feel these people might listen better if they understood how much you were all holding back.

The more time you try to spend reasoning with people about something that should be obvious, the more aggravated you get. Not that it helped that you noticed, even though Amane and Shirou were talking to people, Naoya refused to. He’d just stand off to the side and watch. He hadn’t even wanted to do anything to stop her, and now he wouldn’t at least try to help?

“What is your problem?” You finally snap, after yet another failed attempt, “Don’t you care about what happens to Haru at all?”

You see Amane stepping over to the two of you, but whatever kind of placation she tries to throw at you, you don’t listen. You don’t take your eyes off of him, even as he tries to look anywhere but at you. He eventually mutters, “You don’t want me getting involved in something like this. It won’t do any good.”

“What kind of excuse is that? You’re not doing any good just standing there either.”

His mouth tightens, and he shoots you a glare. “Because this idea is going _so_ well already, right? You’re _really_ making a difference here.”

“It’s easy to just stand there and be smug, you know! What have _you_ done that’s so great it gives you the right to decide what is and isn’t worthwhile?”

“I don’t _have_ to have done anything, I have _eyes_ ; no one’s been reassured or comforted, or whatever the hell it is you’re trying to accomplish. You’re just wasting time and riling people up even more with this!”

You don’t care if he’s Shirou’s friend or if he’s technically on your team or any of that. You can’t stand this attitude. That he can just stand by and watch and mock people who are actually trying. You have half a mind to punch him, but Amane steps between the two of you.

“There’s no point getting mad at each other over this,” she says, firm and unrelenting, “Gin, however he said it, Naoya _is_ right. We should rethink this, we’re not getting anywhere like this-”

“No thanks to him,” you practically spit out, and when he starts to say something, this time Shirou’s the one to interrupt, leaning his chin against one of your shoulders and patting the other.

“C’mon, you really think he could convince a total stranger to listen to him? He hasn’t even managed to get _you_ to like him, and he actually helped saved your life.” He turns to Naoya and adds, “No offense.”

Naoya mutters something dismissive, and you simmer with the knowledge that there’s no way to argue the point that wouldn’t prove it further. Even if Shirou’s right, even if they’re all right, yo still can’t stand watching him stand off to the side while the three of you do all the work. And the longer you have to deal with people’s accusations, their dismissals, just makes you more and more worked up.

Even if your approach wasn’t perfect, surely it had to be better than just doing nothing and feeling high-and-mighty for it. The same went for Haru. Maybe she wasn’t doing the smartest thing, or even what you hoped she would, but she _was_ trying to help people. She was risking her life to do it. How could they all dismiss her, act like _she_ was somehow wrong for the method she took, when they were alive because of her?

You didn’t understand at all. Not until you saw those two. A man and woman, both demon tamers, fighting in plain sight by the Eikokuji temple. The woman had a bright red ribbon in her hair, and you recognized her as Kaido’s friend. Mari Mochizuki, the new leader of the Daemons. There was a surprising number of demons converged, but they weren’t going after the two of them. It was the other way around. Right there in broad daylight, not caring at all who saw or who else was involved, she was chasing the demons down eagerly, and smiling as she fought.

It was like your vision tunneled to only them. Someone tried to hold you back, but you don’t even notice who. You just tear out of her hold and shout at the two, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

They both pause and look over their shoulders at you, but Mari is the one who answers. “Cleaning up the demons, of course. You’re a tamer like those three, aren’t you? You know you can’t earn Macca any other way.”

“Macca?” You blink, dumbfounded, “That’s not important; don’t you know what people are saying about Demon Tamers? They’re terrified, and you’re-”

“If they have a problem with what we’re doing, then they can talk to me about it themselves.” She shrugs, turning back towards her partner. “I can’t control how they feel, and I have my own problems to deal with that I’m afraid come before them.”

You hear Amane try to caution you, but you barely even register her voice. “That’s- this isn’t just about you!” You force your way in front of Mari, not caring where the demons she’s trying to fight are. If one hits you, maybe that’ll help her understand how serious you are about this. “There’s other tamers out there risking their lives trying to help, and if you’re not gonna do the same, then you’re giving us all a bad name.”

She raises an eyebrow, still not betraying any feeling other than amusement. “Oh, you think that’s all because of me? I’m flattered, I had no idea I was such an influence on the whole city.” She casually brushes her bangs back. “It was always just a matter of time until people started looking for a place to vent their frustration. That would’ve happened with or without me, and I, at least, intend to be strong enough to fight whoever I have to when things do explode.”

Your whole body feels like it’s buzzing, the anger is so deep in your bones. “So it doesn’t matter who gets hurt, as long as you come out of it alright?”

“If you want to put it that way,” she says, expression still perfectly composed, “Yes.”

When she starts to walk past you and join her partner further ahead, where you the roaming demons have started to converge, you draw your COMP. You hate to admit it, but Naoya was right. There’s only one way to stop people who won’t listen. As your team flashes to your side, you hiss, “You can’t be trusted with a COMP if that’s how you’re going to use it!”

You hear her footsteps pause. When you turn towards her, and see she’s started to smirk. “Oh? Exactly what do you plan to do to stop me?”

The rest of your team is next to you now, but you ignore the protest from Naoya, the frustrated warning from Amane. If they’re not going to help you, you’re not afraid to fight her by yourself.

“You are the new leader of the Daemons, aren’t you? Mari Mochizuki.” You practically spit out her name. “You should be better than this - this just can’t be how the former leader would have wanted you to do things! I bet Hisashi would be horrified to see-”

And now she glares, now she cracks and hisses out, “ _You_ don’t get to say his name.” She steps towards you, not paying the demons at your sides any attention. “You know absolutely _nothing_ of what he would have done, or what he would do now, and you have no right to use him like that.”

You shift into a more aggressive stance. She eyes you, and then that composure slides back over her face. “I admit, I’d rather not fight a kid,” she says, looking over at her partner, who nods and turns to face you as well. “But if you’re going to insist, I’m not going to go easy on you either.”

 _Good_ , you almost say, but something interrupts you. Not any of your teammates, not her partner, not even any of the stray demons. What catches all of you by surprise, is a sudden tremor in the ground.

“Shit, an earthquake?” Naoya says, “Like we don’t have enough problems-”

“-Ahaha, no way,” Shirou says, laughing nervously and pointing over towards where the demons have converged. “Take a look over there...”

The ground underneath them has turned black, threads of bright red seeming to crackle throughout it. It pulsed, widened, and with each one another quake rattled the streets underneath you. More than one of you was sent stumbling to the ground as the pavement cracked and segmented. It’s a miracle no one was thrown down the stairs. The whole air felt hotter. Smelled foul.

And then chains burst out of it, smashing into the ground. Massive links of metal that, even from here, you can tell are thicker than your whole body. They rattle against the ground, sending out further tremors and breaking the ground underneath you all apart. Something was climbing up out of the darkness with them.

There was one last flash, and suddenly it was- it was just _there_. A giant demon stood, covered in some kind of silver metal, the chains still attached to it. It reared back its head and let out a bellow that forced you to cover your ears.

When it stop, the world seems to go silent with it. You hear it inhale clearly, despite how it towers over you. And then it speaks, voice low and gravely. “I can smell it... the blood of a Bel...” It looks down towards all of you now, and you can see it’s empty white eyes. “Humans. You will weep for me. Usher in a world of despair and set me free!”


	15. Day 3, part 4

When the massive silver demon first bursts from the ground, you can’t even think. Your whole head turns into reactive static, all alarm and confusion that cuts through the defenses you’ve worked so hard to build for yourself over all these years. You’re frozen to the ground, left staring at the demon as it bellows and commands, with only this blur of panic filling you. 

A black mist starts to ooze into the air from the cracks it’s left in the ground, and when you first breath it in, it feels like you’ve swallowed electricity and it’s burning you inside out. But even though you feel drained by it, the pain snaps you out of your paralysis. As soon as it fades, you force yourself to move, despite the heavy, sluggish feeling in your body. You look to Honda and then the kids. None of them seem any better off than you. They’re all struggling to lift themselves up, some coughing, and moving too slow.

‘ _ I have to get them out of here. _ ’ Finally, a thought clear enough to cut through the noise.

You force yourself back onto your feet, and help pull Honda up as well. Your demons, Nalagiri and Basilisk, both seem more than a little nervous, but they place themselves protectively in front of the two of you. With a quick glance back to the kids, they seem to be pulling themselves together too, but you can’t take any chances. The demons that had coalesced for this summoning are done waiting. They’re already moving to cut off your exit, teeth and claws and talons bared.

" _ Cry for our master! _ " You can hear their chanting, their cries of delight. " _ Give your souls to Beldr! _ "

You glance up at Honda. “If you want to run, looks like you’d better move fast.”

He manages a hoarse, uneasy chuckle. “Sounds like you have other plans.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“I wouldn’t be much of a partner if I did that.” He gives you a side glance and a slightly nervous smile, which despite everything, you can’t help but return. At the time, you’d decided to fight with him because he was the only other Demon Tamer you’d met, and he at least seemed polite and easy to work with. But he’s been proving himself much more reliable than you could have hoped.

“Okay then. First, let’s get these kids time to get out of here.” You turn towards the enormous demon. “They’re closer to the exit, they can make it if we keep the big guy busy.” Honda nods, and you wait just long enough for his Silky to cast Media on your team, before you charge towards Beldr with your demons. One of the kids, Naoya you think, shouts at you to stop, but you can’t hesitate here. You don’t know how strong this thing is, but you don’t have to beat it. As long as you can survive whatever it throws at you, then you can just regroup and heal. Whatever it takes to keep it too busy to release another wave of that mist and slow them down.

You get close enough for your Basilisk to hit it with Elec Dance and Nalagiri to send of wave of Maragi at it and the pair of Yuki Jyoru creeping around it. But whatever hits the armor seems to just... disappear. It doesn’t even flinch. It’s too big for you to see it’s reaction from below, but you get the distinct feeling it’s smirking at you anyway. You clench your teeth and land a Brutal Hit on it’s leg, but it still doesn’t budge. You see it wave one of its hands overhead, and a length of chain whips towards you and hits you in the stomach hard enough to throw you back several feet.

“Mari-!” Honda shouts, casting a Mabufu against a Suparna that tries to dive towards you. You check back quickly at the kids- why are they still here? They should have run already, but instead they seem to be focusing more on fighting the surrounding demons. You don’t stay down. You won’t let yourself. You stand and let his demon cast Charm on your team, and you try to plan your next move. If lightning and fire and physical attacks are all no good, that only leaves ice and wind. This monster can’t escape injury forever.

Honda and his team could do it, but you want him to stay out of range from those chains. If something happens to him, you don’t have the spells yourself to heal him. Instead, you swap out your demons for a new pair, of Jack Frost and Makara. Not the strongest you have, but right now you just need to find out what’ll hurt this thing. If you can at least do that...

But these attacks are no good either. Everything seems to be nullified the moment it comes into contact with the demon, like it’s absorbed into it’s armor. And when it shoots out a wave of black-red flames, both the demons with you are destroyed taking the hit. That was your mistake, you should’ve chosen more carefully... you’re scrambling to summon new ones, trying to figure out what you even have as options if magic and your own attacks aren’t working. Is there something you’re not seeing? There  _ has  _ to be.

Then you hear your name called again. Not Honda’s voice, though. You look and see that the kids still aren’t trying to run; they’ve only gotten closer to you and Beldr. Naoya’s even flying directly to you on his own Suparna.

You shout up at him, “What are you doing? This is too dangerous! Just leave it to me.” 

He lands next to you and says, just as angry, “Listen to me! This demon’s immortal, there’s nothing you can do to beat him.” He looks at the demon, covered in chains, “All we can do is get out of his range right now. I don’t think it can actually move much just yet.”

Your impulse is to argue, insist he goes on ahead, but... it doesn’t look like he’s going to leave without you either. His stubborn anger is familiar enough for you to know that much. You turn towards Honda and ask, “Did you hear?”

“Yes.” He looks back to the temple gate, now thoroughly blocked by demons. “We need to all try and break through them together. It seems like our own option.”

That, and your own lack of an alternative, settles it. You summon a Garm to move more quickly, and see Honda swapping his Silky for a Tialoc. But the focus on movement is a handicap - you don’t have anything fast and strong, and you’ll  _ have  _ to fight to get out. You see the kids’ demons are holding their own, but that’s all it is. Every opening they make is filled by more demons. You’re missing the kind of strength you need to just force your way through. You call Nalagiri out again, and order it to mow down whatever’s straight ahead.

It tries, and so does Amane’s own Yuki Jyoru as it forces the demons back with it’s blizzards, and Gin’s Power as it strikes demons aside with its spear, and Naoya’s Suparna as it swoops and pins another to the ground, and Loki’s own Nalagiri joins yours in trying to clear a path.

You’re not being overtaken. But even together, you just can’t manage that one final push that would get you all to the other side of the temple gates. You’re just about to swap Garm out for someone stronger, when you see it again. Black mist rising up from out of the cracks in the ground. You try not to breath it in, but it doesn’t matter. Even by just touching your skin, it seeps into you. The pain comes again, draining you of your energy. No, not just you. Your demons, Honda, the kids - they’re all ground to a halt by the attack.

But the enemies aren’t.

They close in as soon as you stumble, a wave of attacks you can’t even move quickly enough to guard against, let alone counter. Nalagiri and Garm both try to shield you and take the brunt of it, but there’s only so many hits they can take before they burst into light and return to the COMP. You hiss through your teeth, try to attack the demons around you, but your movements are slow. Weak. You can’t move the way you want to under the effect of that mist. Honda manages to send a couple running with a fire spell, but even you can see it flickering, sputtering out. He doesn’t have much left in him, and he’s not built for fighting physically.

You look back to the demons around you, some only inches away. The kids you can’t figure out how to help. The COMP, heavy and near useless in your hands.

And what you feel, more than anything, is adamant refusal.

You will not die here. You will not let you partner and these children be killed. And more than anything, fierce and absolute, you _will not_ leave Tadashi and the Daemons unprotected. Not with that immortal monster running around.

You need a demon, you think as you make yourself stand, trying to brace against the next attack. That’s all. Just one demon to get you out of here. To get you all out. Strong enough that nothing can ever stop or threaten you. Anything that will give you the power you need. Maybe in the auction... it doesn’t matter how much Macca you need to use. The cost doesn't matter right now.

But as you’re pulling out your COMP, ready to make one last bid, the wind picks up. You hear something speaking to you.

“ _ Thy desperate heart... thy cries for power... I perceive them, human, _ ” a voice, rough and almost amused, “ _ You have but to call my name, and thee shall have it. _ ”

The demons around you pause and seem to look around for the source of the voice. Some even draw back, as if expecting something to jump out at you. You turn to Honda, and from the look on his face, he could hear it too.

The wind starts to roar now, drowning out everything else out from the force of it. It funnels around you all, until bursting outwards and blowing back all the surrounding demons. You distantly hear Beldr’s scoffing behind you, but you don’t care. You turn to the kids and throw your arm out towards the cleared path out, and just shout, “Hurry!” 

Before you can see their reaction, though, a shadow falls over you. When you turn to look, you see what can only be a demon standing before you. You’ve never seen one like this before, with a lion’s face and sharp, metallic wings. It speaks calmly to you. “ _ I am Pazuzu. Call my name, and thy wish shall be granted. _ ”

“Pazuzu...? The king of the wind...” Honda says, stunned into awe. 

You don’t look at him. You don’t look at anyone else. You stare the demon in the eyes and say, clearly and without hesitation, “Fine then. Give me your strength, Pazuzu.”

It laughs long and loud, and the wind around you and Honda picks up. From the corner of your eye, you catch movement as the kids finally manage to get away, before the remaining demons regroup around them. Pazuzu leans in close to you, a kind of smile still on it’s animal face. “ _ Then let us quit this place. We shall ride on the winds of darkness together _ .”

Before you can blink, the wind tornadoes around you and Honda, cutting you off from the rest of the group and the other demons. You hear Naoya shout “Wait-”, but before you’re ferried away by your new partner, you see the girl pulling him towards the gate. They got away. So now, what’s left is to focus on the real problem. Beldr is still standing. Maybe you can’t beat something that’s immortal, no matter how strong you get. But you  _ can _ earn enough power that it won’t defeat you either. A stalemate can accomplish what you need just as well in this case, and if Pazuzu is truly going to grant your wish, then you won’t rest until you get it. 

You don’t need to _beat_ an immortal. You just need to be able to protect Tadashi and the Daemons from it. You  _ will _ defend what’s your’s, no matter what Pazuzu asks from you in exchange.


	16. Day 3, part 5

After seeing Beldr first-hand, no one even thinks about going off on any more little side missions. The atmosphere in the group wasn’t exactly warm and cozy to start with, but now it’s frigid in it’s focus. There’s things to talk about, you can practically feel them shadowing you all, but they pale in comparison. So what if powerful demons are appearing now without even COMPs being involved, or if you may have just watched Mari actually sell her soul for real (and that’s something you’re kind of dreading Kaido finding out). There’s just no _time_ to worry about anything else.

Even Gin seems to recognize that. He keeps his mouth shut and nods when Amane suggests looking through the park for leads on the devil’s fuge, not even mentioning Haru or Mari. You still think this would go faster with just the three of you, but you can at least appreciate his change in attitude.

The park is as packed as ever when you reach it. Mistletoe’s not exactly common in the middle of the city even in the best of times, of course, if it’s being sold anywhere, it’d be here. With so many people gathered and all the stores closed, it’s the ideal place for someone looking to profit. Loki manages to weed out a rumor that someone’s selling wood charms, mistletoe among them, but by the time you find the supposed salesman, he just shrugs and apologizes.

“I’m afraid someone else was just here,” the salesman says, pushing up his sunglasses and looking askance, “They bought up everything I had. Too bad for you, huh?”

Well, _that’s_ not suspicious at all. Have other people found out about Beldr? You remember the person looking for Midori, the things he said. He’d been crowing about a ‘master’ like the demons all have been. It might be a stretch to assume they were talking about the same demon, but... you can’t just chalk it up to coincidence either.

Still no matter how hard any of you try to press this guy, he really won’t say much of anything. Just that the group who bought it all seemed to leave the park in a hurry afterwards. He gets fed up and scurries off with the rest of his stuff after the admission, and the four of you are left to figure out what to do with it. You cross your arms, tapping a finger impatiently. “Whoever bought those charms, they have to be planning on fighting Beldr themselves, right?” Then you pause, and reluctantly add, “That, or they’re looking to protect him.”

Gin boggles at you. “What? Who would want to do _that_?”

Loki wags his finger at him. “Tsk tsk, I mentioned it before. There’s no way the barricade could stand up against that guy.” He shrugs with a ‘what can you do’ look. “If they’re desperate enough, some people might think that all they have to do is clear the way and Beldr’ll take care of that pesky SDF for them.”

“Still,” Gin says, looking kind of dully horrified, “There’s no way that demon cares about helping out anyone...”

“Hey, doesn’t matter if he does it on purpose. All they have to do is not get in his way when he rampages, and they can get out.”

Amane looks thoughtful for a few seconds, then says, “We shouldn’t rule out a third party, of course, but we _do_ already know of one group at least that’s very invested in the Lockdown remaining in place. And I’m certain the Founder would be well-aware of Beldr’s weakness.”

That does make sense - it’s all too easy to imagine Yuzu getting sent out to make another dramatic last-minute entrance to save everyone. Let just enough people die that the threat is made clear. Just enough so that her victory is all the more impressive. The idea seems so obvious, it makes you feel ill.

“Should we try and hunt down their ‘maiden’, then?” Loki asks, “She’s gonna be on the front lines.”

You’re sure that he’s right on that count, but... “No, I doubt they’d tell her ahead of time, if that’s their plan. I mean...” You rub the back of your neck. “I don’t exactly trust her, but she’s never seemed conniving enough to go along with something like that knowingly.” All things considered, she’s been pretty upfront with you all this week. Definitely more than _Kazuya_ has been, anyway. And, well... you’re not really comfortable accusing her of something that awful, after what happened last time. It feels like shifting blame, and if there’s any truth to what she said, then you absolutely don’t have the right to do that.

Amane sighs, but nods in agreement. “That sounds more like the Founder’s usual tactic. He keeps his cards as close to his chest as possible from just about everyone.”

Gin makes a ‘hn’ sound, rocking on his heels slightly. “You guys sure sound like you know a lot about the Shomonkai. Did you, like, research them or something?”

“No, but my cousin _is_ a member,” you say, which is at least in the same ballpark as the truth, “And we obviously didn’t know enough.”

“Far too true,” Amane says, brushing some hair back and looking off towards one of the streets. “Well, that man did say the buyer already left the park. We could try and find out if anyone’s noticed some of the Shomonkai breaking off on their own, that’d at least let us know if we’re on the right track.”

To your relief, that line of questioning does actually go somewhere. You get pointed off towards the Bugeikan in Kudanshita - several people agree they saw a group of Shomonkai around there just recently. One of the women who mentioned them even says they were acting very strangely. More aggressive than the rest of the members, really brandishing their COMPs around. If she hadn’t seen the Shomonkai helping everyone yesterday, she would’ve been too upset to stay around their congregation in the park. It may not be confirmation, but it _is_ strange, and the timing is too coincidental to let slide without investigating.

 

* * *

 

Maybe it’s a little unfair. You are, essentially, planning to jump them after all. But frankly, you don’t care what is and isn’t fair in this situation. It doesn’t take long to track the errant Shomonkai members down - they’re not quite at the Bugeikan, but six people in bright orange robes is kind of hard to miss. Loki goes first, waving and calling over to them, while the three of you hide behind some trees. They see the COMP in his hands, and you can clearly hear one say, “Perfect, we can never have too many.”

Once they get close enough to him, you call out your own demons and blindside them.

It might be flattering to think that the surprise is what let you overwhelm them so quickly. They do outnumber you by two, after all, and if they had been chosen by the Founder to run his errands, they could have been specially trained. But it’s clear within minutes that isn’t the case. They don’t really know what they’re doing with their demons at all - they keep hesitating in their orders, or forget what kind of abilities their demons have. Wild demons would be harder to fight than them, at least they’d be coordinated.

These members only have one advantage, and that’s their own set skills, which you chalk up to vulturing Yuzu’s winnings as their leader. They obviously don’t know how to use them effectively. Once you pick off their demons, they don’t have anything to replace them with. It’s only a matter of time until you all manage to smash their COMPs and force a surrender.

As long as they’re in front of you, the battle is still on-going. You let your demons slink around them to keep them from running off. You step in front of the one who tried to attack first, and ask flatly, “Do you know anything about Beldr?”

He flinches, won’t meet your eyes. “That’s... it is not our place to participate in the War of Bel...”

“So you _do_ know.” You don’t like the sound of ‘war of Bel’, but it’s obvious enough that ‘Bel’dr would be a part of it. The member shuts his mouth with a snap.

“But- but we couldn’t just sit and wait for His Majesty!” Another one protests, trying to step forward, “We had to act, and when we found out there’s a way to defeat him, we-”

“ _Shut up_ ,” the first member hisses over his shoulder at them. You look over at Loki, who catches your eye and grins. He jerks his head at his Pendragon, and it lurches towards the first member, crushing him under its front claws.

The guy yelps and tries to squirm out, but the Pendragon just lets out a low growl and he stills. You glance over him quickly. No blood, no sign of real injury... he’ll be fine. You step closer to him and ask, “Where can we find mistletoe?”

“In - ngh - in front of the Diet Building. We were... going to meet up with some others in the Lockdown who wanted the same thing as us.” He looks up at you from the ground. “Are you going to destroy _that_ hope as well?”

“We’re not destroying anything,” Amane says quickly, waving her hand at the Pendragon for it to move off of him. It glances at Loki first, but obeys and slinks back. “We are going to defeat Beldr ourselves. And I’d say we’ve demonstrated a better ability to do so. You don’t have to worry.”

The member glares at her as he lifts himself to his knees. “You’re her, aren’t you? Lady Amane.” She doesn’t react, but he takes it as confirmation regardless, looking down and nearly spitting out, “I shouldn’t be surprised. Of course you’d desert His Majesty to follow another one...”

‘ _You’ve got them well-trained at any rate._ ’

Your stomach lurches at the memory, and you have to remind yourself, you don’t know he’s talking about you. That guy back then didn’t know what he was talking about either. It’s got nothing to do with you.

But... how can you believe _that_ , after what Yuzu said yesterday?

Before you or anyone else has the chance to ask when he means, you’re snapped out of your thoughts by someone else speaking behind you. “It seems you’ve stopped the renegade members. You have my deepest gratitude.”

Yuzu Tanikawa’s voice - neither the empty stilted speech or the vicious snarl from yesterday’s encounter - turns everyone’s head. Behind her are several more Shomonkai. At seeing all of them, the members you defeated finally give up completely, and meekly allow the other followers to lead them away. You let your own demons return to the COMP as well. No point in having them out, with the situation defused so decisively.

You’re stiff and on-edge the whole time she’s there. But then Yuzu just starts to leave, without saying anything else to you. It’s strange enough that you can’t help just blurting out, “That’s it? I thought you wanted to lecture me on something.”

She turns back to you and  blink, seeming a little surprised. Then she shakes her head. “No, Naoya Minegishi, I have no intention of delaying you here.” She looks up at you, her orange eyes seeming to gleam with a pale yellow, “The things I wish to speak to you about, I believe you will understand far better after your battle. Do not tarry. Your destiny is upon you.”

There it is again. That singling out that you don’t understand. That you never asked anyone for. You don’t look at the others. You don’t have to, you can feel the weight of their eyes on you. Their unspoken questions, their suspicion you can’t defend against, because you have no answers. You don’t look at any of them. You just turn and stare straight ahead as you tell them all to hurry and get to the Diet Building.

 

* * *

 

The place is in absolutely deplorable condition by the time you arrive. You don’t know what happened, or what kind of fights broke out here, but it’s in absolute shambles. The steps leading up to it are cracked, and there’s burn and claw marks all over the walls. A bus is overturned and seems to have skidded into the side of the building. There’s nothing that indicates anyone who may have worked there stayed behind, but that’s probably best, considering the state of things.

You hear a trumpeting sound, and see a Heimdall is standing at the top of the steps near the door.

“Come, comrades! We will confiscate the devil’s fuge for Master Beldr!” It calls out, luring more and more demons towards the door with the sound of its horn. But despite their numbers, they’re too focused on their goal to really notice any of you. As demons crawl in through the front door or fly in through broken windows, you all sneak in through the hole in the wall the bus made.

The inside is no better than the outside. The floor is cracked in quite a few places, some of the decorative pillars are missing chunks from their sides. You can’t help but wonder if everyone who’d been here really got away. There’s still no signs of any people at all. The demons are still lurking, some audibly sniffing their way through the dark halls. They still haven’t paid any real attention to the four of you, but you know that can’t last.

You shake your head and whisper, “Let’s try and get this over with quickly. I don’t want to stay in here any longer than we have to.”

“Agreed,” Amane says, “Should we split into pairs? I know it’s a bit risky, but we would be able to search more quickly.” She eyes the hallways, the debris and damaged furniture strewn around. “We’d attract less attention that way too, I think.”

“Okay, I call Amane!” Loki says, before you have a chance to even argue her point, putting a hand on her shoulder to pull her towards him, “You two play nice~!”

Amane looks over at the two of you uneasily. “I don’t think that’s a good idea-”

“It’s fine,” Gin says, “C’mon, we can at least look together. And we shouldn’t waste time arguing.”

...With him actually being responsible about it, you can’t figure out a way to protest without looking like a brat. You nod your head and agree to it as well. With that settled, Loki and Amane head off to the left, and you and Gin take the right.

Despite what he said about being willing to look with you, it seems like that doesn’t extend to talking with you. At first you think he’s just being sensible about not attracting more attention than necessary. The demons may be on their own mission, but if you got in their way they wouldn’t hesitate to fight. But as you get further into the building, you see fewer and fewer of them. You don’t know if that’s because you’re on the totally wrong track or if you’re just moving more quickly than them. But it does make the silence between the two of you all the more notable.

Still, you’d rather have it be awkward and quiet than have to suffer through some truly agonizing small talk or another fight. Maybe he’s the same way, you think as you shift your bag strap on your shoulder. That’d be a relief.

“Actually...” Gin finally says, dashing your hopes, “I did want to talk to you about something.”

Damn, you’re going to have to suffer through small talk after all. Where are the demons when you need them? You heave a sigh and ask, “What is it?”

“...Are you always so hard on Shi- Loki?”

You blink. “What?”

He frowns, pushing aside a chair that somehow wound up in the middle of the hall. “It’s just... he seems to really like you a lot, you know?”

“...Sure, I guess.”

He glances at you, obviously irritated by your minimal reaction, then takes a breath before continuing. “I know he laughs a lot of things off and has a weird sense of humor, so maybe it doesn’t bother him now. But you just- you can’t be sure of anything with him, you know?” He looks down, kicks at a small piece of splintered wood. “Tomorrow he could just as easily decide he’s sick of it and leave without any warning.”

“I already know that,” you say, voice terse and your eyes still stubbornly forward.

“You-” he starts to bristle, “If you already know, then why do you keep acting like he’s annoying you or doing something wrong? He won’t even think you want him around.”

...You’re not _that_ bad, are you? Before you can think it through, your mouth takes over and you snap at him, “I’m not gonna humor him when he’s being an ass just to keep him around. If he’s gonna get sick of me, then he’ll get sick of me whether I suck up to him or not.”

Gin doesn’t seem to have an answer to that, at any rate. His mouth gets tight and thin, and he starts walking a little faster so he’s ahead of you. Despite yourself, you feel a tiny bit guilty, maybe. Even you can tell he’s speaking from experience, and you don’t like the idea of rubbing salt in his wounds. But you’re not going to go bearing your heart to a guy just because you feel bad for him either. He’s only around for now anyway... once this week is over, you’ll probably never have to see him again.

Suddenly, Gin says, “Hey, did you see that?”

It takes you a minute to register that he spoke - and a few more seconds to realize this was a new subject - until he adds, “I definitely saw someone over there! Hurry!” And then off he runs, without even giving you a chance to react. With a groan, you follow after him, trying not to lose sight of him in the dark hallways. For all he knew, it was just a demon or something trying to lure him into a trap.

Ugh. If only there were more windows; but you’ve only gotten further into the building, and with no power you can barely see anything in the dark. You only have the sound of Gin’s footsteps and the vague shape of him from behind to lead you as you try to keep up.

When you trip, a part of you feels like you should have expected it. You land hard and with a grunt, but he doesn’t hear you and just keeps running ahead towards whoever he’s chasing. His footsteps echo in the dark, and you try to hurry and stand before he gets too far ahead - _damn it_. Your ankle lurches under you as a sharp pain shoots from it. Guess you’ll have to use Dia first...

And then something hard and rough cracks against the back of your head.

Your legs buckle completely, but you don’t fall unconscious. Your whole head is ringing so loudly you can’t think, and you’re shaking as you struggle to push yourself back up on your hands and knees, and you _do not_ black out. Through the ringing, you manage to hear some people talking over you.

“-a rock? That big? Kind of risky-”

“It’s fine, something like this won’t die from that much.”

Shit, at least your COMP cushioned the - _your COMP_. That’s the only thought that gets through. But your movements are clumsy and too slow, even one as simple as trying to take something out of your pocket. They notice, and before you can even touch it, someone kicks your back hard enough to send you sprawling to the ground. Your arms are still free, though, and you reach for your COMP again, but someone else crushes your wrist under their boot and traps your arm in a painful bend. You have to bite back a cry. You can do that much at least.

“C’mon, we gotta hurry and tie him,” a third voice says, and now you can hear shifting. Footsteps. How many are there? “We need to save him for Master Belial.”

The ‘Bel’ in the name cuts through the pain and growing sense of panic. You _have_ to get away. The boot on your wrist lets up and you try to take the chance to get up, to run despite the hurt in your arm and ankle, but it’s only a few seconds of freedom before someone grabs both your wrists and wrenches them back behind you. Several someones. There’s so many hands, you can feel them. And... and rope, you’re sure of it, around your wrists now, forcing them together. Your legs too, someone’s trying to hold them still... you can feel yourself gasping at the air, but it’s not enough. Where’s Gin? Where’s _anyone_ ? Everything hurts, you can’t _move_ , you can’t _breath_ , you can’t do anything...

The panic channels into a desperate kind of determination. You squirm and thrash, even though it makes you dizzy enough to feel nauseous, even though their grips only tighten and your head’s practically screaming at you to stop. You keep trying to do something, to at least make it more difficult, buy yourself some time, until finally someone grabs a handful of your hair, forces your head up, and smashes it against the ground.

Your vision starts to swim in and out of darkness. You have to focus but it- it’s so exhausting. You can barely feel them now. You can’t really feel anything. It’s just ... too far away.

The last thing that registers before you’re finally conquered is the scent of smoke. Something glowing out of the corner of your eye. The voices over you rising into alarm. Shaking underneath you.

Then those distant sensations fade out into nothing, and you let yourself go with them.


	17. Day 3, part 6

Your flames may have sparked the cultists’ retreat, but it’s the tremor that cut them off from the two of you. The building was in bad enough condition already, and it doesn’t take long for the walls to start breaking down and chunks of the ceiling to cave in. You don’t have much time to waste getting Naoya out. It’s too late for the ones who put their hands on him, anyway. That whole wing is going to come down on their heads, and sitting around listening to the screams and crunching of bones isn’t your idea of a good time. You scoop Naoya up and, in a brief whirl of smoke, teleport the two of you outside. 

This particular spell is not a specialty of yours, but it does the job well enough. You check back on the building from the bottom of the stairs - you’d hate to leave his friends in there if the whole thing is going to collapse. But only one wing looks like it’s in immediate danger. The Diet Building may not last to the end of the week, but it doesn’t look like anyone will be hurt in the curse’s crossfire today.

“ _ Prometheus _ ,” you hear, “ _ Are you declaring your allegiance? _ ”

You turn back in front of you. Heimdall stands, horn in hand, looking vaguely disappointed. There’s more behind him and to your sides, demons pouring from the new cracks in the building. They’re not quite surrounding you yet. Just watching. Waiting. You adjust your hold on Naoya and grin.

“I’m only trying to level the playing field. Don’t you think every candidate deserves a chance to fight for the title? It would be unfair for the human Bel to be taken out of the running so soon.”

“ _ Master Beldr has suffered for so long _ ,” he says, like you haven’t spoken at all, “ _ It is his right to rule after the end of days, even if he is the one to bring them forth. It has all been foretold; would you contest that? _ ”

You shake your head. “That is not my intention, Heimdall. But if this  _ is  _ his destined return, then surely it will happen regardless of my interference, don’t you agree?” From behind, you hear footsteps approaching. Running, more like. “In any case, I am not the one with a weapon to stop him.” Heimdall gaze shifts behind you then, and though you do not turn around to see, you can hear the people stepping out, their frustrated cries at the demons before them. Cultists, you suspect from their numbers. “You should take that up with them first, I think.”

With a grin, you step aside and let the two sides clash. They should be able to keep each other busy for now. You duck off behind some of the rubble to wait just until you see the rest of Naoya’s group finally running out, demons at their sides. There’s no need to stay and watch any longer than that - you’re sure they’ll be able to handle this many people just fine, especially with both groups of opponents having their attention split. And you have him to worry about.

To be hit hard enough that he was knocked out, even with the protection the COMPs offer... that’s nothing to make light of. Healing magic can do a lot of good, but you’re not willing to leave him in the care of children with no medical training right before such an important fight. They may have demons who can wield their magic with more expertise, but you don’t see any on their teams now, and it’s not a risk you’re willing to take.

They can take care of the mistletoe. You’ll take care of Naoya.

 

* * *

Your apartment is nothing special, but it’s been untouched so far. You expect it to remain so. Even aside from the issue of your neutrality, very few demons would waste time breaking in somewhere when there’s still plenty of humans roaming the streets.

You set Naoya down on your bed and start preparing your spells. That he’s still unconscious is extremely concerning, but your magic takes to him will enough. As you clean the blood off his face, you watch the cut on his forehead seal and the bruising on his arms fade. Deeper, you let your spell guide the fractured wrist and skull towards a swift, clean repair. You wince in sympathy. Time is short now, but you want to let him rest as long as he can, after all that.

It’s maybe ten minutes into this that you hear the lock on the door click open, and hear Kazuya enter saying, “You better appreciate this, these things are heavy as-” You don’t even have time to turn around before the door slams shut and something thuds onto the floor. Then Kazuya’s kneeling next to you, staring at Naoya with wide dark eyes. “Who did this?”

“The Belial cultists,” you say, eyes flickering back to Naoya, “You don’t have to worry, though, they didn’t have time to do any permanent damage.”

He doesn’t say anything for a long moment, then sighs through his teeth and shifts into sitting. His eyes remain solely on Naoya. “Just _once_ , I’d like to do something about people like that instead of that stupid curse” He pauses, and says in a considering tone, “I mean. I still _could_ , afterwards. But that always feels more self-indulgent than helpful.”

You snort. He nudges you in the side and watches until you’re satisfied that your spells are properly set and you take your hands away from him. Once that’s done, with a heavy sigh, he stands back up.

“Alright, I better get out of here before he wakes up. Let me know if anything important happens.”

You blink. “You don’t have to leave. I’m sure seeing you would-”

He cuts you off with a firm shake of his head. “No way. It’s still too early, he doesn’t need anything to confuse or distract him right now.” You frown, ready your argument, but then you hear Naoya stir and when you take a second to look at your patient, Kazuya seizes the opportunity to escape. Fine, you think as the door slams shut, you’ll just have to save it for later then.

  
Despite the brief stir, it takes a little longer before Naoya actually wakes up. You take the time to move the tank of propane Kazuya acquired for you and fiddle a bit with Naoya’s laptop at your desk. The COMP’s protection covers objects too, of course, or they wouldn’t be able to hold up themselves. But if Naoya took that much damage himself...

Then, behind you, the blankets shift. You hear a sudden, strangled kind of gasp, and finally a dull bang as he twists and scrambles back against the nearest wall. As aggressively as possible, too, from the way he hisses through his teeth afterwards. “Careful,” you say, getting up and walking over to him carefully, “You shouldn’t go giving yourself a concussion all over again.”

He glares and presses himself against the wall tightly. You wait a few feet away as he checks his wrists for ropes and his pocket for his COMP - still there, safe and sound - without taking his eyes off you. Confusion starts to replace his panic, and finally he breaks the eye contact to look around. Seeing no one else there with you seems to drive the point home, and he asks, “Where am I?”

“My apartment. Sorry, I’m sure it’s a pretty nasty shock to wake up somewhere strange, but it was the safest place I could think of.” You nod your head over at your desk. “Been trying to patch your laptop up for you too. You should really be more careful about where you bring it, you know, it took quite a beating this time.”

He doesn’t thank you or even move away from the wall, which you don’t take personally. “...Why were you in the Diet Building, if you’re not with those people? And where’s Amane and Loki?”

You tilt your head. “Wouldn’t someone naturally be concerned after seeing a bunch of children running into a demon-infested building?” He says nothing, just narrows his eyes at you, so you continue. “And you looked too badly hurt to leave you with them. I had to make sure you were alright first. Now, just give me a second to check.”

Though he still looks ready to start kicking and shoving at you if you move too suddenly, he lets you close enough to get a good look at him. He seems alert enough, and from the feel of it, your spell’s settled completely. You let out a soft sigh. He should be okay to fight. 

“I know you, don’t I?” He says, snapping you out of your focus, “You’re what’s-his-face. Kazuya’s friend.”

You can’t help but laugh at that. “That’s right! So you get why I’m extra invested in making sure you’re alright.”

But he doesn’t listen after ‘you got it’. Instead, he scrambles to his feet, shoving past you and looking around frantically like Kazuya was about to pop up from around a corner any second. “Where- where is he? You know, don’t you? That’s why-”

“Hey, calm down- he’s not here, I promise you that.” You stand up, your hands open and harmless. “You can look if it’ll make you feel better, but he really isn’t.”

He whips around, the suspicion in his glare almost sharp enough to wound. “You didn’t answer my question.  _ Do _ you know where he is?”

You tilt your head and smile at him. “If you knew, what would you do?”

“I’d- I’d  _ find _ him. Make him actually  _ answer _ me for real, for once in his life.” Naoya glares at the floor, all thin skin and gritted teeth. “This isn’t fair. He can’t just leave me- leave us here and expect us all to just keep trusting him off  _ scraps _ .”

“Ahh, well, can’t say you’re wrong there,” you admit with a sigh, “But that sounds like it’d take a while. Do you really have that kind of time?”

A moment of silence. Then he jerks his head up and hurriedly takes his COMP out to checks the time. “ _ Shit _ ,” he hisses, grabbing his jacket from where it fell off onto the bed. “Hurry and give me my laptop back - I have to go.”

“Ah, wait,” you say, “It’s still in rough condition right now. Why don’t you leave that with me?” He freezes, all suspicion again, but you just add, “Consider it a promise. I’ll definitely come to return it to you later, once you have more free time. We can talk then.”

He wavers, not capable of trusting you right now, but clearly aware how ill-advised another fight would be for him right now. As his eyes dart from you to the laptop, you see them double-take. His face pales even more than usual, and he takes a step back as he stares over your head. “There’s no number.” 

You don’t say anything. You just smile expectantly.

He blinks away from it, looks you in the eye. “ _ Fine. _ Just tell me one thing.” His mouth moves without speaking at first. Then, he tightens his fist and has to force out, “Does Kazuya even have one?”

...Ah. “Yes. A four.”

He doesn’t relax, doesn’t take his eyes off you. You don’t think he evens breathes. Until all at once, he turns and bolts out door, only pausing to growl out, “You’d  _ better  _ bring that back,” over his shoulder before slamming it shut behind him. 

It’s a little while later, surely enough time for Naoya to be well out of sight at the pace he was going, that you hear Kazuya knocking. You open the door for him and say, “You really don’t have to hide from him, you know. The poor kid’s wearing himself out over you.”

Kazuya hums softly, pointedly not looking at you. “Well, can’t exactly help that.”

“I mean, you  _ could _ -”

“No, I _can’t_.” He already starts walking away from you, to flop down onto the bed. Today must be the day for ignoring you. “Things are still developing right now,” he says, opening his COMP and idly tapping through the menu for no reason other than to look unconcerned. “He needs time to see everything and decide for himself how he feels about it all first. What I have to say should just be another piece of information, not the lense he sees everything through.”

You try not to let your frustration show too clearly. “I get why you’re being cautious, but I don’t think you’re giving him enough credit,” you say, as gently as possible, sitting down next to him, “Or yourself, for that matter. If you’re just open and encouraging with him, there’s no reason-”

“Besides,” he says, snapping his COMP closed and still not looking back at you, “I don’t know how the angels would react.” His voice is a bit low, anger and regret mingling together in it. “If I couldn’t even guess that they were going to set all of this up so suddenly, then I clearly can’t predict them well enough to take any more unnecessary chances. And if they saw me there, whispering in his ear, what’s to stop them from deciding that it’s too risky to try and sway him and just scrap the whole thing?”

With a soft sigh, you put an arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer to you. 

“Neither of us could have predicted everything exactly,” you say, rubbing his arm and trying to get him to look at you again, “But that’s alright. You adjusted, things are still going on track. Nothing’s been ruined.” In response, he lets out a breath and rests his head against your shoulder. You let him stay there for a little bit, but when he still doesn’t say anything else, you decide teasing might help a bit. “Just remember one thing. What’s my name mean?”

He stiffens for a second, then groans. “Please don’t-”

“What does it mean?”

“......Foresight.”

“That’s right! So at least listen, okay?” You pet his hair, but say firmly, “Some doubt is good, if he’s going to decide for himself. But if you push him too far, you’re not going to be able to get him back, no matter what. Even if you really believe seeing him right now’s a bad idea, you should still give him some kind of reassurance.”

It takes a while for him to answer. You don’t push it. Eventually, he mutters, “You know, I hate it when you play that card.”

You lean forward a little to look at him more clearly. “That’s why I only do it when it’s  _ important _ .”

He remains determinedly noncommittal, but you’ll take it over more stubborn arguing. Eventually he sits up and says, “Well if you’re so worried about him, you should go see him.” 

You glance out the window. “Well, I was planning on it... now might be a little early though.”

He waves his hand at you. “Go on, watch the fight so you can tell me how he wins.” He starts to grin. “I’ll want to remember every detail. Don’t be afraid to take notes.”

You laugh a bit. It’s a dismissal, but you don’t mind. If he needs some time alone to think it over, that’s fine with you. “Alright, you got it. Don’t destroy the generator while I’m gone.” He rolls his eyes and gives you a mock salute before you head out to the streets.

For a minute, you consider teleporting straight to the cemetery, but you’ve already used that spell a few times today. No point in wasting your energy on something that you’re so annoyingly inexact with. There’s time. Besides... you’re a little curious to see how the demons in the streets react to you now. You know you were a bit blatant with Naoya earlier, but you haven’t declared anything yet. If followers of the other Bels are going to start coming after you, it’s better to find out for sure as soon as possible, so you can adjust your planning going forward.

Even now, though, the streets seem stuck in an uneasy peace around you. There’s dozens of demons stalking around, but they keep a safe distance. Your stated neutrality remains unchallenged. When little Naoya becomes a full-fledged Bel, that’ll have to change. But that’s still further up along the road you’re on.

As you look around, you notice the buildings. Broken windows, caved in doors, or else boarded up completely while people huddle inside. You can’t help feeling a sharp jab of sympathy. You really don’t like seeing humans stuck in these conditions. Of course not. But really... there was no way to avoid something like this forever. It’s a shame. One could even call it a tragedy. But it’s something that was set into motion a long, long time ago, and not by you or Abel.

The problem is if the humans will understand that. Or believe it.

Then, you stop. Something... twinges at you, off to the left. You take a deep breath and concentrate, and  _ yes _ , you’re  _ certain  _ of it. There’s a familiar soul nearby. One you haven’t seen for months. And it’s almost drowned out by demons.

It’s not something you even have to think about. Accepting a certain amount of death as inevitable is one thing. But sitting back and letting a crowd of demons tear a person apart is something you have no intention of doing. 

You run after the soul’s direction until you spot a pack of demons, all chasing after something. Once you catch up, you pause only to slam your hand down into the pavement. A wall of flame cuts across the length of the street, forcing the pack to back off from the person they’re chasing.  Some turn tail immediately, the rest surprised into taking stock of what’s going on. You use the chance to cut in front of them, not having to worry about fire yourself, and grab the arm of a human who’s just as shocked as the demons.

You take just a second to actually  _ look _ at him. And sure enough, it’s a familiar face staring back at you, his narrow eyes open and uncomprehending.

“A-AT-LOW?” He manages to stammer out.

You could laugh. Even you never thought you’d stumble upon him here. But laughing can wait for later. Right now, you nod and tighten your grip on his arm. “This’ll be a shock, but don’t panic, okay?”

Before he can nod, smoke rises around you and whisks the two of you away.

Of course, once again, you wind up not quite where you meant. But at least the rooftop you’re on now is nice and empty. You let go of him to check over the edge for any flying demons. There’s a couple, but... they seem more focused on the ground for now. Your body feels like it’s buzzing. How long has it been since you’ve seen him? Months since that last, deeply worrying e-mail, at least. And you practically broadcast your true nature to him... well, you wouldn’t blame him for getting scared off. These aren’t exactly ideal circumstances for this particular revelation, if such things exist.

But when you take a deep breath and turn to break the silence, he doesn’t look afraid. Nervous, yes. Shocked, absolutely. But you don’t sense any mistrust in him. Only relief, coming off him in waves. A tentative smile is starting to make it’s way to his face.

More than a little stunned yourself at the sight, you still manage to offer one of your own easily, almost feeling goofy at how wide it is. “Hey, 10BIT! Never thought I’d run into you like this.”


	18. Day 3, part 7

Once you have what you need from the cultists, there’s not much point in hanging on to them. The building’s collapsed and Naoya never came out; there isn’t time to care about two things at once. Besides, it’s not like you have any where to put them all. Instead, they run off and you all go plowing through the rubble - even Gin looks frantic over it, shoving plaster and broken boards aside. He swears up and down that he didn’t see anything happen, and you believe him, but that’s not exactly what you’d call comforting. 

What is, though, is a lack of any trace that Naoya’s been here at all. No dropped jacket, no busted laptop, nothing to show he may have gotten caught in the brief earthquake. Amane even has a pair of demons trying to track him, with no luck. “We should get going soon,” you finally say, letting a splintered chunk of floorboard drop back to the ground, “I mean, if he’s not stuck somewhere, he probably made it out fine.”

Amane looks back at you from another underwhelming report from her demons. “You say that, but the bodies of COMP users disappear... what if-”

You cut her off right there with a laugh, waving your own COMP at her. “Hey, c’mon, he’s still listed as a team member in the menu. Even demons get, like, little ‘x’s on them when they can’t fight anymore. There’s no way he’d still be there if he died.” 

She winces a little at the blunt statement, but eventually does nod. You grin and pocket your COMP again. Right. No reason to worry at all. And... sure, maybe Naoya  _ did  _ get hurt or something, but as long as he still has his COMP then he can always just heal himself. If worst comes to worst and none of you can find him later, there’s always the nightly e-mail function. You can get in touch then and meet back up with him. Nothing to get worked up over.

Anyway, you think as you wave Gin over, you’ve already decided not to see this as a setback. No, this could be an  _ opportunity _ .

After all, you know Naoya wasn’t all that enthusiastic about your plan to fight Beldr yourself. Wouldn’t it be funny if he ran all the way up to Aoyama to catch up with the three of you, only to find out you’d single-handedly beat the demon? You can imagine his blank stare, his grumpy pout while you brag.The perfect way to break the tension when you see him again!

Amane, despite your reassurances, still doesn’t look totally convinced and tries asking Gin again if he saw something. All he can do is shake his head and affirm, again, that he never saw anything. Never heard anything either, not even a call for help. You put an arm around Amane’s shoulders and try to point out, “Look, wherever he is, doesn’t change that  _ someone’s _ gotta beat Beldr right away. If we don’t hurry to the cemetery, that body count of his is gonna shoot straight up.”

She hesitates just a moment, then finally relents. “You’re right... and Naoya does know that’s where the fight’s going to happen. He probably  _ would  _ head straight there if he realized we’d gotten separated.”

You grin, and pat at the devil’s fuge charm in your pocket. “Don’t worry, we’ll finish him off with one big swoop with this.”

 

* * *

The sun’s starting to set when you all reach Aoyama. Managed to beat Beldr there, at least, but he’s not gonna leave you hanging for long. Not if the crowding demons are any indication. They pay you no attention - they’re waiting, circled around where the forest and cemetery meet. Some are chanting “ _ Hail to Lord Beldr! _ ” over and over, until the words barely even make sense amongst the cacophony of noise.

The three of you pull your COMPs out, but even when you summon your own demons, the crowd doesn’t even look at you. From the center of their circle, a dark miasma starts to bleed into the air. 

Then, all at once, chains rip up out of the black. They burrow into the ground, leaving cracks in the walkways and smashing a few bushes into a piles of burnt leave. A cry goes up amongst the demons, they crowd around him even as they get caught in the chains’ or burnt by their heat. 

“ _ Master, I have to say _ ,” you hear Amane’s newly-fused Peri say, draping a protective wing over her shoulder “ _ You  _ really  _ don’t know how to pick your fights at all. _ ”

And then all the building energy bursts into the air, and he’s just...  _ there _ . Beldr. The just-setting sunlight makes his armor look more like brass - and with how he’s still visibly restrained by his chains, he seems more statue than demon. Your heart is racing. You can’t help but grin. You thought the Wendigo had been a sight to see? That was nothing compared to this. It’s  _ beautiful _ . In fact, you think you see a few other Wendigo’s in the crowd around him, bellowing and raising their claws in worship. 

And all you have to do to topple this giant is to land one hit.

Another classic story.

No point in just standing around. You whistle to Suparna - Naoya won’t mind you borrowing one of his usuals, you’re sure, maybe he’ll even find it flattering - and leap onto it’s back without even a moment of hesitation. Amane shouts, “Loki,  _ wait- _ !” behind you, but you know better. What good is dragging this out? There’s too many demons to fight individually, and Beldr’s mist attack has too wide of a range. No, your best chance is to hit him fast and hard. The small fry will disperse then, you’re sure of it. They did when you beat Wendigo, after all.

That’s right. You’re the star of this show, the best shot at victory. Your whole body feels like it’s vibrating with the excitement, and you feel the mistletoe charm digging into your palm from how tightly you’re holding onto it.

Once you get in range, Beldr swings at you with one of his fists. He’s not fast enough to keep up with your bird’s flight. You can’t help but laugh. This might go even quicker than you thought.

But as you make it around to Beldr’s back and swoop down for the hit, one of the chains strikes up towards you. Suparna rears back instinctively to avoid getting hit, but it ruins your momentum. They can do that...?  Ah, one of them had hit Mari before, now that you think about it. Suparna struggles to regroup, to focus and pick its speed back up, another chain hits it squarely on one wing. It topples sideways with a shriek, sending you falling off to the ground. Not too hard of a fall, at least. But then you see a second chain wrapping around your demon, trapping it until a trail of black flame coils along its length and vaporizes the bird.

You may have to rethink your strategy.

Flight’s out, fine, you don’t have a faster Avian and you know better than to try the same thing twice. But no matter how strong it is, you remind yourself as you summon Nalagiri and Afanc, you still only need to hit it once with the mistletoe. It doesn’t know you have its weakness. If your demons can just move fast and keep you protected long enough to get within striking range, then you have this in the bag. You jump onto Afanc and charge at Beldr’s legs this time. 

The miasma at its feet exerts a weird kind of pressure that slows your demon down. You try to keep an eye on the chains, so you don’t notice right away the silver glint appearing within the black and red below you. When you do, it’s too late - a new chain shoots right for you, ignoring your demon in favor of knocking you off. You feel it wrap around your ankle and yank you up into the air. Your demons try to strike at the chain to knock you loose, but their attacks have no more effect than they would on Beldr himself, and before you can blink it twists and throws you back to the ground.

Your head is ringing, but you keep your first tight around the mistletoe and start to push yourself up. Then an enormous pressure lands on your back, preventing you from even doing that. You try to squirm out from under, but you quickly realize, as his fingers start tightening around you, that Beldr’s holding you down. Which means he’s within reach. You just just have to get your arm free- but he presses down harder, forcing the breath out of your lungs in a painful exhale and keeping your arms locked at your sides. Then the fingers curl around you completely and lift you up along with clods of dirt. Your eyes are full of stars, but you’re face to face with him now, and you have to  _ move _ .

Beldr squeezes you between his hands, looking faintly amused.

“ _ Human child.”  _ He isn’t loud, but even his voice is powerful. You can practically feel it against you. _ “You would call yourself ‘Loki’? _ ”

When it’s clear he wants an answer, you squirm and cough weakly, exaggerating how poorly you can breath. He takes the bait and loosens his hold on you. Without hesitating, you yank your arm out, raise the charm to strike him

and he drops you.

In the seconds before impact, you try to remember not to let go of the charm, above everything else. Turns out it’s not exactly voluntary. The pain, the shock from landing against torn up stone and dirt - your palm opens and the charm goes flying. Your demons double back to you, and you hear the clink of their swords and claws against the chains as you scramble to find the devil’s fuge again. 

But just as you feel the familiar shape brush your fingers, you hear a pained snarl and feel a wave of heat. You close your hand around it, and stand just in time to see your Afanc disappear into a flash of light and black fire. A chain wraps around your wrist and forces you up. The strain from being help up like that is excruciating. You grab onto the chain with your free hand to lessen it, try to claw it off you, even if it means dropping to the ground again. It won’t budge.

Beldr stares at you. His face isn’t metal like the rest of his body. It may be the one part of him that’s still organic, you think. But his eyes are completely empty. More blank, reflective silver.

Then, slowly, he begins to sneer.

“ _ How trite,” _ he says, almost purring,  _ “Did you think this an amusing little play, to act out the role of my killer? Did you think yourself immortal, as he was? _ ”

You feel him shift and look down. A chill hits you. 

He’s moving. Actually moving. For the first time, you see him lift a foot up from the miasma, and brings it down hard on Nalagiri, crushing it into light.

“ _ You are no match for the one who cast me into Hel.” _ He says, leaning in close so you can feel his bitter, rust-scented breath.  _ “You may share irreverence, but he at least was clever. This paltry imitation does not deserve to have his name attached. _ ”

The black mist starts to rises up from around his feet. Not breathing it in won’t actually help, but you try, hoping it might anyway. You bite back a cry as you feel your strength draining from you, the pain from your arm steadily growing as you fail to hold yourself up. It’s getting harder and harder to hold on to the mistletoe. But you can’t. You still- you could still...

You can see Amane and Gin out of the corner of your eye. They’ve been pushed even further back than you realized, but Beldr’s mist is reaching them too now. You can see them slowing, their movements growing clumsy and unfocused as they try to fight through the heavy exhaustion. And there’s  _ so many _ demons, but they aren’t... they aren’t even advancing on them. They’re just... waiting. Waiting until they both wear themselves out.

Your breath hitches in your throat. That’s... it’s your fault, isn’t it?

Beldr notices before you can catch yourself, and turns to follow your gaze.

“ _ I see. You are concerned for them, are you? Very well. Let us watch more closely.” _ He’s actually starting to  _ walk _ now. The chains groan as he strains against them, but you feel them giving way now, the snap of breaking links jerking his movements and you.  _ “A befitting punishment for your impudence, to make even you shed tears for my arrival. _ ”

The chain around your wrist tightens, to the point you think he’s breaking it, but you manage to claw yourself up long enough and switch the mistletoe into your free hand. Beldr couldn’t care less about what you do. He keeps you just out of reach, no matter how you try to swing at him. You get desperate enough to hit the charm against the chain, but it doesn’t have any effect. 

Your body is buzzing again, but this time there’s a... sort of numbness to it. A sense of unreality, that you’re not actually a part of what’s happening. It  _ isn’t  _ happening. You can’t really have been stupid enough to get stuck like this. To not be able to do anything while those two- while they-

-you hear something. Rustling behind you. There’s no reason to expect anything other than more demons, but you still twist yourself around to see. You spot familiar white hair barreling out of the dark green of the trees, and everything else blurs. You don’t have to think beyond that.

“Naoya! Here-!” You shout, throwing the charm down to him. The Orcus he’s riding jumps to help him catch it, and you see now it’s a Tialoc alongside him. Beldr starts to notice then, but he turns too slowly. Before they land, Naoya and Orcus disappear, and blink back right underneath him. Without losing momentum, Naoya slams the charm into Beldr’s leg.

It hits, and goes right through, the metal shattering instantly and crumbling into dust.

And Beldr  _ screams _ .

He falls to one knee, the rest of his body cracking as the wound from the mistletoe crawls all over him. You’re still held up by the chain, you can see it all. The metal blows apart, and his howling stops every demon there in its tracks. The noise echoes and resounds, and it’s like the whole world is screaming out with him.

“ _ NOT AGAIN!  _ **_NOT AGAIN!_ ** _ YOU HUMANS  _ **_CAN’T DO THIS_ ** _ - _ ”

He’s more than half gone when you notice. The miasma at his feet, that back mist he could use - it’s all going to Naoya.

And then the chain crumbles away too, and before you know it you’re falling  _ again _ . But at least this time you find yourself safely caught by Kikuri-Hime. Naoya must’ve switched her in. She places you gently on the ground and starts to heal you. Weird, you hadn’t noticed how difficult it was to breath until you could do it easily again...

No, wait, where’s Naoya? You see him running towards you, no sign of the black aura anywhere. Before you can comment or even start to stand, he drops to his knees so he can grab you by the shoulders and shout, “What the  _ fuck  _ were you  _ thinking _ ? I told you this was a terrible idea!”

You blink. And then burst out into laughter. “That’s right, you did!” You somehow manage to speak in between peals of giggles, “Guess that shows me, huh?”

And then all your words dissolve into laughing. You can’t stop. It’s just so  _ funny _ . You’d been so sure, so confident, and  _ why _ ? What the hell ever made you think you could do something like this? You can barely breath, you’re laughing so hard. Naoya was right, Beldr was right, you can’t, you couldn’t, just  _ trying  _ to be something almost got everyone killed. Your stomach’s starting to hurt and you’re shaking and Naoya’s staring at you, but you just can’t stop  _ laughing _ . 

You don’t even register right away when he pulls you against him. The stiffness of the hold it what finally makes it sink in. He’s not doing this because he wants to. So then it’s... for you? You’re startled into a couple of hiccups, which ends your fit as well as anything.

“Sorry. Really, I shouldn’t- I shouldn’t have yelled,” he says, soft but strained, “It’s not like I was able to do anything sooner, you were trying, it’s just that...” He sighs against your hair, and even though you can feel his discomfort, his hold on you is firm. You don’t think you could pull out if you wanted to. “Seeing you like that just... made me panic. A little.”

...You keep trying to smile. To laugh again. But it’s... it’s hard all of a sudden. Your face feels stretched too tight. Your chest feels too heavy. You swallow down something you aren’t sure of, and try to giggle. It comes out sounding nervous even to you. “H-hey, c’mon, it’s no big deal. I’m fine, thanks to you swooping in all heroic like that.”

He stays still against you for a few seconds, then pulls away to look you in the eye. “It  _ is  _ a big deal.” His voice is low, even, but there’s a tremor to it. And his eyes... they’re so bright, so intense. Almost vicious. And it’s all focused at  _ you _ . “You almost getting killed is  _ a big deal _ . Understand?”

That... how do you answer that? Did you answer at all? Maybe not. You think you said  _ something _ , but you can’t be sure. Not while you’re stuck in that same untethered feeling as before, that sense of not being yourself. Distantly, you hear Amane and Gin calling, see Naoya break your gaze to turn to look at them and wave them over.

You blink. Then stand, wave, and smile. Set those feelings aside and try to let reality seep back in. You really can’t explain them to yourself right now. You don’t have the words. And what words come to mind feel just as disconnected from yourself as everything else does. But what you do know, with complete certainty, is that you’d do just about anything Naoya asked, if he looks at you like that again.

 

* * *

 

The next couple of minutes are a blur of relief and excitement that helps ground you better than you expected. Amane helps especially, squeezing your hands tight enough to hurt when she sees you’re alright. You expected she’d be angry, but the worry you actually get from her kind of feels worse. Gin apologizes to Naoya, and even compliments him once you regale his dramatic entrance and defeat of the demon. 

Naoya offers no such excitement in his own story of where he’s been - he just says that he was jumped by some of the cultists and got hurt, but someone showed up and got him out safely. “It was Kazuya’s friend,” he says, “It’s been a while since I last saw him, but I definitely remember that much. He took me to his apartment to patch me up and everything.”

You raise an eyebrow. “‘Friend’? As in singular?”

“As far as I know,” Naoya exhales through his teeth. “Pretty sure I’ve mentioned before that Kazuya’s basically a hermit. This was the only guy he ever talked about or really spent time with.”

Amane gets to the heart of the issue. “Then you think Kazuya’s been in contact with him?”

“Yes. Definitely.” Naoya pauses. “I think... he’s been helping Kazuya plan this. For a while.”

The way he says it invites further questioning, but since Naoya knows where he’s staying, going to see him and get more answers seems a better idea than throwing possibilities around. You’re all set to track him down, when you wind up running into him just a few blocks away instead. It’s sort of disappointing. You don’t recognize the guy yourself - he’s tall, sure, but pretty plain other than that. Even if you’d seen him somewhere before, you don’t think you’d have noticed.

But you’ve spent too much time around demons by now not to at least sense something’s off about him. Even so, the guy waves and walks right up to all of you with a big, toothy grin. “Hey, Naoya! Good to see you managed to get here in time after all. And congrats on your big victory!” His grin evens off into a slightly conspiratorial smile. “But you’ve already guessed, haven’t you? This isn’t the end of the fight.”

You remember the way the miasma reacted when Naoya won. You didn’t have a chance to say anything yet, but... you glance over at Naoya, who looks down in a resigned kind of way that you don’t like. “Yeah. I guess I did know that.”

To his credit, the guy looks like he feels a little bad at least. But he after just a small pause, he continues on undaunted. “Well, I’m sure you have plenty of questions. Since I’m here, I’ll answer some for you, as a reward for doing so well. For starters, how about I explain to you about-”

“What business do you have here, demon?”

Yuzu’s voice rings out clearly, her tone sharp and unmerciful in a way you haven’t heard from her before. The guy steps back from you all, holding up his hands in clear surrender. “No need for an intervention, Maiden. I’m just speaking with the new candidate.”

“He does not need you poisoning his ears too,” she says, stepping towards him. “If you do not leave him be, I will not hesitate to defend him.”

“I got it, I got it,” he says, and shrugs at your four. “Sorry, guess our talk will have to wait. See you around, little brother.” Then he grins, a pair of fangs clearly showing now, and adds quietly, “Maybe I’ll even introduce you to someone interesting, to make it up to you.”

“I said, begone-” Yuzu starts to say, stepping in between them, but then in a quick burst of flame and smoke, the guy disappears. Nice. You admire the showmanship. Yuzu pauses, then lets out a long breath and turns towards the three of you with a slight difference in her eyes. “My apologies. I hope he did not harm you.”

“No, he was fine,” Naoya says, rolling his eyes, “Was actually going to tell us something for once. Thanks a lot.”

She shakes her head. “Anything from his mouth cannot be trusted. You’ve realized his true allegiance already, haven’t you?”

“Well, you did shout ‘demon’ pretty loudly,” you interrupt, to a quick irritated glance from her. Huh. The outfit sucks, but setting that aside, isn’t she kind of cute? But it’s only a glance, and then she’s back to looking right at Naoya.

“Then you know there is no reason to pay his words any mind. He only wishes to confuse you and drag you down with him.” She shakes her head firmly, and takes a step closer to you all. “In any event, though, now that you have overcome your trial, I can speak freely of what will come next. And how you can end the Lockdown.”

Even your ears prick up at the bold claim, and no one tries to interrupt. 

“Beldr was a demon lord in the running for the Throne of Bel. By defeating him, you have confirmed your own candidacy." She spreads her arms out towards him, in a gesture you hope is meant as welcoming. "Whoever claims that title will be granted command over all demons in the Lockdown. And more than that - for you, a human, to gain that power, will make you a spiritual leader for all mankind. A true messiah.”

It’s a heavy few seconds while her words sink in. Then you burst into laughter, hard enough you have to lean against Naoya for support. “A messiah? Seriously?” You say, still snickering a little, “Well damn, now I’m glad I wasn’t the one to beat him, that would’ve been a nightmare.”

“It was not your destiny.” ...Harsh. “But Naoya Minegishi, you are different. The Lockdown will only be lifted when the demons are gone from this city. And you are the only one who can make that happen now.”

Naoya frowns, shakes his head. “That can’t be the  _ only  _ way. I mean- look, you obviously don’t know me very well. There’s  _ no way _ I’d be any good as something like that.”

A very small smile manages to cross her face. “I do not believe that is true at all. With guidance and support, you could become a wonderful leader for all of humanity. You should not doubt your own potential.”

“Is this the Shomonkai’s new goal?” Amane asks, stepping forward as Naoya looks more and more uncomfortable with each word out of Yuzu’s mouth.

“No, it is not,” Yuzu says to her shortly, before turning back to Naoya, “If this is too much to consider all at once... you have time to think. It will be three days until the next candidate, Belial, appears. I am certain that by then you will know the right path.” She pauses then, another small shift in her eyes, “But I will just say one more thing; this plan is the only way to save your cousin.”

Naoya narrows his eyes, leaning away from her. “...What do you mean?”

She closes her eyes, bows her head as if in mourning. “Kazuya Minegishi has been struggling for a very long time. As you may have guessed, from both his actions and his choice of friends.” When her eyes open again, they seem paler than before. “You are the only one who could still influence him now. If you do not know what is correct, if you are scared, that is alright. Whatever your faults, they can be unlearned. We can teach you. We wish to help you to help him. We want nothing more than for both of you to reconcile with your family.”

“And who’s ‘we’, if you’re not speaking for the Shomonkai?”

She blinks slowly, and with her eyes now back to that pretty bright orange, it’s even more obvious they were different before. “I’m afraid I will be missed if I stay much longer. I will see you again soon, Naoya Minegishi. Please think on my words.”

And just like that, she walks away.

Naoya lets out a long, shaky laugh.

“Messiah? What the hell does that even mean...” He brushes his hair out of his face. “Humanity’s gotta be pretty desperate to need someone like me to be one.”

Amane tilts her head a bit. “I don’t think it’s that outlandish. I could certainly think of worse people... though I do agree we should take it with a grain of salt.” She frowns a bit, watching after Yuzu. “She says Belial will appear in three days. How many days are on our clocks?”

“Three,” Naoya says, “Don’t know about everyone else, but she’s still at four, anyway.”

“So even if we do what she says, we’d be cutting things pretty close to the end.” Gin sighs. “That’s risking a lot for a pretty vague plan.”

You shrug. “Maybe she thinks playing up the mystery will get us more interested in her side.”

“Well, I say we should try and do something sooner. We can’t just sit on our hands for three days, whatever she’s promising.”

“Besides, I’m pretty sick of ‘mystery’ right around now,” Naoya mutters, then speaks more confidently, “And I can’t exactly agree if I don’t know who I’m agreeing with. That whole ‘we’ thing sounds shady as hell. And Kazuya...” A distracted look enters his eyes. “Whatever the hell he’s doing, if it’s in opposition to them, I still don’t know  _ why _ .”

“Speaking of Kazuya,” you say, plopping your chin on his shoulder, “Think he knew his friend’s a demon?”

“I...” Naoya lets out a long breath, “Yeah. I think he did. I mean, they’ve been friends since even before he moved in with my parents... and if he’s here and working with Kazuya, he’d have to have known.”

You whistle. “So Kazuya’s known about demons for at least, what, ten years? And he just kept it to himself that whole time. Rude,  _ I _ would’ve believed him at least.”

Naoya takes a breath that you expect to end in more shouting or grumbling, but instead he just says, “Seems like it.”

With unease taking hold of the atmosphere, you wrap an arm around Naoya’s neck and pump your other first into the air. “Hey, c’mon, no point in worrying about all that now! Belial’s three days away, we should at least celebrate finishing off Beldr!”

He winces at your enthusiasm so close to his face and just asks, “Celebrate? With what?”

“Oh, I’m sure we could find a convenience store left unlocked and find something that’d do the job.”

As you successfully pull everyone into a mostly-joking bicker over whether or not it’s even worthwhile to steal lukewarm soda, you keep catching Naoya trailing off. The distracted look in his eyes just won’t go away, no matter how much you wheedle at him. 

A twinge of dissatisfaction pulls at you. If Naoya wants someone to unload his feelings on, you know, he’ll go talk to Amane. That’s never bothered you - after all, you’re good at other things, like smoothing things over or playing a distraction. That you’d have no idea what to say, or even what face you’d make, if he  _ did  _ come to you to talk hasn’t seemed like a problem before. But after the last couple of hours... maybe it’s not surprising you’re just the tiniest bit frustrated with another reminder of just how useless your skill set can be.


	19. Day 3 - Interlude

You’re almost back to your own apartment when you COMP buzzes. An e-mail alert. You blink at the screen. Naoya hasn’t responded to any of your previous messages - which was not entirely surprising, given how overwhelmed you expected him to be. And you hadn’t even figured out what you were going to send him tonight yet.

Partially because of the surprise appearance of ‘Atsuro’s’ friend. The guy seems... fine, you guess, and if Prometheus thought letting him hide out at his place was a good idea, then he’ll probably be useful. But you have no interest in talking about Naoya with him around. And a lot of what they’ve been talking about has been machine this and technobabble that, and you have no interest in admitting you have no idea what they’re talking about either. Prometheus can always just give you the short version of it later, if it’s important.

So you left, determined not to come back until you’d at least figured out what you were going to do. Or found something left in your apartment that might be useful. Whatever took more time.

And here Naoya’s beat you to the punch. He always manages to surprise you. You smile a little and read it as you walk.

[ _I always thought it was weird, you know. You were so much older than me, and from the start I was never nice. Especially to you.  
But you were still always patient. You put up with anything I said or did. I didn’t get how you could make excuse after excuse for me. What you were getting out of any of it. _

_But I do now. You knew about demons before living with me.  
Even random people on the streets can tell there’s something wrong with me, and you had a better view than anyone. _

_So you will answer this question._

_Was everything about the War of Bel, from the start?_ ]

...As troubling as his words are, but you can’t help the burst of fondness you feel as you read them. Naoya’s so bright, and it makes you happy to see him piecing things together so quickly and being aggressive about confronting you, even through an e-mail.

But it _is_ a problem. You understand what Prometheus meant better now. If Naoya thinks you’ve been grooming him this whole time, it’s only natural he won’t be able to trust anything you say, whatever kind of point you try to make. And considering this is the first message he’s sent you so far, it has to be upsetting him deeply.

You hear glass breaking up the street and glance towards the sound. Looks like some people breaking into a store. From the shouting you can hear, it seems likely a fight will break out sooner than later. With an annoyed hum, you make a detour down a side street. Making that much noise, they’re practically begging to lure demons out towards them. That definitely won’t do your concentration any favors.

You look back down at the screen. How to answer Naoya... well, in this case, reassurance needs to come first. You tap clumsily at the inconveniently-small keypad on the screen, deleting and re-typing to get the wording right. Maybe doing this while walking is a bad idea.

[ _First of all, there’s nothing wrong with you. Power itself isn’t bad, and neither is you having it.  
_

_But as for your question... I’ll tell you as clearly as I can. You are partly right._  
_I did know about the War of Bel, and your potential as a candidate, for some time now._  
_That I care about you, though, is a completely separate issue. Even if you had no such power, you would still have been family._  
_That is more important to me. Isn’t it natural I'd want to look after you?_ ]

You tap your finger against your chin, type and then immediately delete an addition ‘ _Besides, I always thought your attitude was cute_ ’, because that’s really besides the point. The sounds of rioting in the street grow louder, even as you move away from them. In the shadows, you hear the click of claws and hooves against pavement. The demons passing by give you a cursory glance, which you return with a smile and wave. They move along, one giving you a snort as it goes. Your dusty old soul has some benefits, at least. Much too stale and reeking of holy favoritism to be appetizing.

You wonder what Beldr’s followers are thinking right now with their master defeated. They may hesitate to follow a human regardless, but strength talks to demons better than anything.

More importantly, you think, turning back to your screen as the demons round the corner, you have to get the rest of this right. You’ve stated your position plainly, but is it too dry? It may not sound convincing like this... but being casual would be worse. At least this sounds serious enough. And trying to play to emotions be a disaster, even if it would be easier. You can’t draw on his feelings when it’s convenient and then expect it not to affect his decision later.

No, being straight-forward to a fault is the safest way to go here. You blow some bangs out of your face and continue.

[ _I’m sure you’re asking right now ‘If you care about me, why put me through all of this? Why good could come of it?’_  
_I know you can’t understand my actions right now, and I can’t explain them through e-mail.  
It’s too complicated a situation to talk about anywhere but in person._  
_So I’ll promise you this - I will come to see you before Belial appears. When I do, I’ll answer any questions you have_.]

Hm. Some of that, he’ll likely take it as condescension. But you’d rather seem arrogant than desperate or pitiful. He doesn’t need to sympathize with you, and you don’t want him to.

Your steps pause as you see your apartment building up ahead. The police tape is still there, but it’s shredded pretty well. A few of windows are broken, too. Maybe you should’ve come by to pick things up sooner, but you’ve had so much to do, and there were still some officers running around trying to investigate the death too. Their priorities seem to have shifted a bit by now, though. You pocket your COMP for now, and head inside.

Compared to some of the other buildings, there’s fairly little damage. Plenty of residents would have happily stayed over with friends or family after a murder in the building. And then it would have been more comforting to stay there with others’ after the Lockdown was put in place. Demons may have gone after one or two who returned, but looters have stayed away. Once you’re back in your room, you find your refrigerator and cabinets untouched. You grab a backpack from your room and start sweeping everything still good into it. Prometheus doesn’t need to eat like you (though you know he likes to anyway), so most of what he has in his apartment were last minute purchases. This should get you and his friend through the next few days.

For a minute, you consider sending some cans to that apartment Naoya’s spent the last few nights at. Getting food out of nowhere is pretty suspicious, but you think someone willingly helping out a bunch of teenagers like Nikaido wouldn’t just throw out something that useful. Maybe you could figure out a way for him to stumble across it ‘accidentally’, to be safe?

You sigh. You can never be too safe. All your plans, all your preparations, they never seem sure enough. There’s always something you miss or misuse. Something you weren’t careful enough to catch. And your endgame plan... it’s little better than a gamble. What you’ve heard so far isn’t exactly promising either.

Prometheus said himself that Naoya didn’t seem any different after the fight with Beldr. It’s completely possible that you were wrong. Maybe the piece of Bel in him has nothing to do with his memories. He could wind up defeating every other Bel and take the throne and never remember a single moment of his previous lives, or what’s been done to him.

You don’t want to think that’s likely. After all, you’d felt so sure. That piece has been with him since his first life, after all. And even now, however faintly, things still linger in him. His lives change him, bit by bit, even if he can’t remember. Triggering a part of his soul that old... surely, _surely_ , it’d have some effect? Okay, maybe one Bel isn’t enough, but the more he defeats the more likely it is that he’ll start remembering _something_. Right? You wish Belial would come faster, so you could test your theory sooner. You hate having to leave it so last minute. Honestly, you don't even want to try and explain everything to Naoya while he still doesn’t know everything.

Of course, you'll do it if you have to. If you don't tell him what you know, who will? But hearing it from you just isn’t the same. You can’t tell him how he felt about anything, and the story’s outlandish enough that it may not hit home just hearing second-hand. Even if it’s just a shred, you want him to remember something. That’s the only way for him to really know what he’s been through and how he feels about all of it. Then, he can make his own choice, without your biases clouding his judgement.

But if that doesn’t happen... you have to be ready for that. Which means you can’t lead him to an answer using his affection for you. You _can’t_ , not if those feelings only exist because he doesn’t really know you. If he doesn’t decide what he wants, if he becomes King of Bel for you, then you’re not helping to free him. You’re just putting a new curse on him. And if he went through all that for you, and only started to remember afterwards...

You rub at your eyes, hard enough for stars to appear behind your lids, and heft the backpack over your shoulder before taking another look around the apartment. You’ve got what food is still useful, and you don’t really have anything tech-related that Prometheus doesn’t already have a better version of. Is there anything else necessary? Your eyes linger on your CDs, some photos, a pair of white headphones Naoya gave you last year... and then you hear footsteps.

You’re tempted to assume a looter, but what thief would walk so calmly, with no regard for the noise they’re making? And as they get closer, the atmosphere changes. Like you’d been in a room full of smoke and hadn’t realized it, until this one clear breath of air. _Dammit_... had they been waiting for you to come back here? You didn’t think-

You don’t know which one it is, or what they want to do when they see you, but you are taking no chances. You leave the rest, bolt for the fire escape. It’s a bit crooked, but it doesn’t seem so damaged it won’t hold your weight. Once you’re back on the ground, you run until you the building it completely out of sight. You glance back behind you, trying to catch your breath, but you don’t see anyone. The chaos in the city should hide you well enough. That’s something you predicted right; it has to be why they were waiting for you to come there, instead of searching you out.

When a few minutes pass and you still see no one, you finally pull your COMP back out and look at the e-mail draft, still unsent. You add one last part.

 _[In the meantime, I hope you’ll remember this: I’m not the only one you should be questioning._  
 _There’s things in this lockdown worse than demons._ ]

You read the whole thing over one last time, and nod to yourself. This is fine. It covers the bases. It’s not too emotional. And whatever more you could say, he wouldn’t understand half of what you really need him to. Not yet.

You hit ‘send’ and shut the COMP, glancing back over your shoulder towards your apartment building again, still expecting them to suddenly appear in front of you. Nothing. With a sigh, you glance down at your machine, perfectly quiet and still. No sign of a response. It’s not unexpected, but... there’s always something you miss. Something you’re too careless with. You lift it to your lips, and speak against the smooth casing, “I’m waiting, big brother. Always.” It’s safe to say, as long as he can’t hear.


	20. Day 4, part 1

It’s not exactly a surprise to see Naoya’s awake before you again. You spot him through the front window just as the sun is starting to rise, sitting just outside by himself. The kid seemed even more on edge last night than he had been that morning. The whole group had been, really, and you couldn’t blame them when Gin admitted they hadn’t been able to convince Haru to come back with them. Imagining her out there all night on her own... well, at least she _had_ made it through one already. She was tougher than she looked. But she shouldn’t have to be. 

None of them had given you many details, but Naoya _had_ talked to you yesterday when you caught him one-on-one, so maybe today will be the same. He’s even sitting in the same place. Maybe he’s hoping you’ll approach him?

It’s worth a shot at least, you decide as you put on your most professional-looking glasses, and open the door. You greeting him with a soft, “Hey.” The way he looks at you with no surprise at all confirms it for you. You shut the door behind you. “More bad dreams?”

He scratches the back of his head. “Maybe. Can’t really remember them now, though.”

You move next to him, leaning back against the wall. “Did something happen yesterday? Other than just having trouble with Haru.”

He laughs, a rough, short sound, and leans forward to cross his arms over his knees. “Oh, _plenty_ of things happened. There’s absolutely _no end_ to the things happening.”

“Anything to do with your cousin?”

He winces a little, keeping his eyes fixed on his hands. “It’s stupid. I know that, there’s more important things to worry about than this. And everyone’s probably getting sick of me bringing it up all the time-”

“But it’s important to you, right?”

No answer. He just curls in on himself more tightly. You take that for a yes.

“Then it’s not stupid to be worrying about it.” You shrug. “Just because there’s bigger problems doesn’t mean your own magically disappear, you know?”

The silence stretches for a few long seconds, until he finally admits, “I really don’t know what I should be doing about him. I don’t even know what I should want to do. The things he says and do make no sense when I try to think about them all together. I can’t tell if he’s just... messing around with me and trying to keep me on a hook, or if he’s being honest and he really does have to do this, or what...”

You slump next to him, leaning forward to rest you own head in your hand. “Yeah, I feel you. Figuring out how someone feels about you is always way too complicated.” Even just outright asking doesn’t always do the job. “And when things get bad like this, it’s even harder to know what’s honest and what’s an act. Like. Did they always feel that way and hid it better, or is it just the stress talking? It’s a headache.”

He looks over at you, and says, bluntly, “Are you talking about Mari?”

You flinch a little, and get frustrated with yourself for letting him and Amane see your fight with her yesterday. They’re just kids, it’s not their job to worry about you. Still... he was honest with you, so you should return the favor. “Guess there’s no point it lying about that.” You rub the back of your neck. “It’s been tense between us, since, y’know-

“Your brother?”

“Yeah. But the last couple of days has been really...” You trail off, not quite sure how to finish. Cold? Secretive? They’re both true, but not what you really want to get across. Every time you talk to her, she feels more and more untouchable. Like anything you say or do would just pass through her - she’s made up her mind on what you’re relationship is now, and you don’t get a say in the matter. It’s hard to express, even just trying to think about it. So instead, you say, “Have you heard the rumors, about demons?”

The way he stiffens and looks away is really all the confirmation you need.

“I guess ‘rumor’ is understating it,” you continue, rubbing the back of your neck, “Actually, I managed to catch a few glances of ‘em already. Nothing super clear but... I’ve been wondering, if maybe they’ve been here for-”

Suddenly, his COMP beeps. You both jolt a few inches at the sound, and when you look in front of you, you can see the sun’s already risen. He looks at you almost apologetically, but you just wave a hand at him to take it. No point keeping him if it’s important. He stands up and goes back inside to read it, leaving you alone. You shook your head. What were you thinking, almost talking about that? Whatever this kid’s dealing with, he doesn’t need to have your conspiracy theories weighing on top of him too. You’re an adult now. You can take care of yourself.

You're not sure how long you sit there, before suddenly, from inside, you hear yelling and something crashing. You hurry back inside, and see a chair knocked over, and the four of them all clearly distressed about something on their COMPs, with Gin’s voice the loudest of them all.

“That’s bullshit! That can’t be right- Haru isn’t gonna-” He’s pacing, staring at his screen, his horror giving way to anger. You step towards him quickly, try to calm him down.

“Hey, Gin, what’s going on? What happened?”

“Haru’s-!” Gin whips his head up towards you, then bites back whatever he was gonna say and shakes his head. “No. Nevermind. It’s nothing. I’m not gonna let it be anything.” He looks at the other three. “We’ve gotta go get her _now_. Those ungrateful bastards aren’t gonna lay a finger on her.”

“What are you talking about-” you try to say, but get drowned out by the others. 

“Please, Gin, try to calm down first,” Amane says, “It’s horrible, yes, but we need to think about this clearly, or else-”

“Or else what? What could _possibly_ be worse than this? Those pieces of shit are gonna-” He glances at you, and finishes with, “Hurt her.”

Okay, there’s no way you could ignore that. You try to put yourself in the middle of the group, to interrupt and deescalate, but no one listens to you. Even Naoya talks over you, saying, “Look, of course we’ll help her, but the real problem can’t be solved with just that.”

Gin gets very still, very suddenly. His eyes widen, and in a low, toneless way, says, “You’re right.The _real_ problem is these people going after anyone they can blame.” He suddenly laughs, running a hand through his hair. “She was right. That’s all it is, that’s what needs to stop.”

One last time, you try to speak up, putting your hand on his shoulder and asking, “What are you-” But it doesn’t even phase him. Gin pushes past you, past Loki who tries to grab his arm, and runs out the front door. You try to ask the other three to explain, but with just a few words of apology to you, they run out after him. You take a few steps to follow but... but what then? What could you do to help them? Whatever’s going on, you’re not a part of it. They don’t see you as someone who can be trusted with this.

In the doorway, you make up your mind. Whatever is going on, you’re certain Mari has a much better understanding than you. And... she’s probably right that she can handle it better. Even if all you can do right now is convince her to keep an eye of these kids, that’s gotta help, right?

 

* * *

 

Mari hasn’t come by since yesterday, and you don’t want to wait. What’s going on with the kids definitely sounded time-sensitive. And besides, you still know the Daemon’s territory like the back of your hand. Your brother and Mari may have insisted on keeping you out of the gang’s activities, but it’s not like you had a lot of other places to be when you were younger. And it always felt important to stay on top of what they were going through, and to know the members as the gang grew bigger. Sure, your visits have been less regular since you graduated high school, but things haven’t changed _that_ much.

It’s not long before you run into a couple of familiar faces. Satoru and Eiji both look pretty on-edge, but they’re friendly enough when they see you. After a quick round of ‘how’re you holding up’s, they walk with you the rest of the way to the warehouse, offering to share some of the food they’ve scavenged. Won’t say where they got it, but no one’s in a position to be picky these days. Still, despite the tempting offer, you have to insist, “I need to see Mari, right away. Is she here?”

“Well...” Eiji says, an irritated look crossing his face, “She’s around somewhere, probably. Don’t think she’s stayed put for more than a few minutes since yesterday.”

You look around at the group, muttering agreements and suggestions, and can’t pick out any obvious absences. “So she’s patrolling? Who’s with her?”

Kasuga snorts “Some stiff in a suit. He popped up outta nowhere, and now he’s the only guy she lets tag along. All she wants us to do is stay put. Like we’re a bunch of dogs or something.”

“C’mon, man, she wouldn’t say that without a reason,” Satoru says, though there’s not a lot of conviction in his voice. The group starts picking at each other, but your thoughts are drifting. Mari’s going off fighting with some strange businessman? It’s hard to imagine. However you try to think about it, you keep getting images of a handsome, smooth talker. Which is ridiculous, because you know Mari wouldn’t go for that. But the idea still sticks.

You interrupt their growing argument with, “Well, where’d she go? This really can’t wait.”

“I think she should be around the perimeter - if you look, you’ll find her,” Eiji says, before turning back to the rest, “I’m just _saying_ , if she’s really convinced we can’t help her, then we’ve just gotta do something to prove her wrong. Something _big_ , y’know?”

With more than a little sympathy, you leave them to their discussion. It does take a while, but you manage to find her safely enough. The guy she’s with, you’re a little relieved to see, is plainer than you’d thought. You call her name, and even while she’s turning towards you, she’s already frowning. “Tadashi, you shouldn’t be here. It’s too dangerous. Hurry back home.”

“I know it’s dangerous - do you think I’d be here if it weren’t important?” You grumble, trotting over to close the distance between you, “Give me some credit.”

She’s very distracted, already looking away, “Well, then why are you here?”

“It’s about Gin - you remember him, right?” Somewhat impatiently, she nods. “Well, I think he’s in some kind of trouble. Him and his friends. If you see him, could you make sure he’s alright? Maybe give him a hand?”

“Tadashi,” she sighs in a far too parental way, “I really don’t have time to look after everyone in this lockdown. I have my hands full with just-”

“Fine, if not you, then maybe some of the Daemons? They don’t seem to be doing much right now. They’d probably be happy to have an assignment.”

“As I was _saying_ , I already have my hands full. It’s easier to keep everyone safe if they’re all where I can keep an eye on them.” There it is again. That futile feeling that keeps overwhelming you everytime you talk to her. The resolute look in her eyes that you’ve never known how to even shake. “You don’t understand what we’re up against here, but I can’t waste a second.”

Still, you try. You have to. “But this really is important - I think one of his friends is in serious danger. And if you really think I’m not up for the job, then I need someone to help me.” You try not to bring Hisashi into this. You try not to even think about him. But he’s always there, just underneath the surface, and you can always feel him. You end, weakly, with, “I just... I can’t let something happen to those kids.”

With your head down, you can’t see Mari’s expression. But she starts to turn back towards you, starts to say your name, when a voice echoes in the air, “ _Do not lose focus, human._ ”

It’s then something forms out of the shadows. A giant grinning skull, snakes crawling in and out of it. It lunges and clamps it’s massive jaw on your arm, and you can’t help but scream as you feel it tear through fabric and skin and start to pull.

A flash of light, or something like it, bursts in front of you to strike the demon, and when your eyes recover you see it’s gone. Instead, a tall, lion-faced demon stands besides Mari.

There’s more appearing now. Strange horses with twisted horns and too-long legs. More of those skulls, their jaws clattering as they move. Almost comical devil-like figures brandishing knives. Silent, dead-eyed women in white robes that feel cold just to look at.

Mari turns her attention to them - she and the demon who helped you. The guy - her partner, you guess - is the one to walk over to you, placing a hand on your arm. In a matter of seconds, the pain is gone. There isn’t even a tear in your sleeve left to show anything happened.

“Stay behind us until we’ve cleared them away,” he says simply, and there’s nothing for you to argue with. Your eyes can’t keep up with what you’re seeing. Sure, you’ve seen a couple here and there, but this is... the guy’s throwing fire around like it’s nothing, and Mari’s straight up punching the demons hard enough to send them flying. And the demons fighting with them - honestly, you can’t tell which ones are which, until the fighting stops and the demons remaining aren’t trying to attack you.

With the skirmish over, the street feels too quiet. Without looking at you, Mari just says, “Do you get it _now_ ? You can’t help with this. There’s nothing you can do that won’t just put your life at risk.” She glances at you over her shoulder and adds, “I’ll make sure your friend is okay. So you just worry about going back to your apartment and staying there where you can’t get in trouble. Leave _everything_ to me.” The emphasis on the word sticks with you, but she’s already starting to walk away before you can ask what she means. “Honda, let’s go. We can’t let them get any closer that this.”

You’re left behind, and once again, you can’t think of a single thing to say that could change her mind.

 

* * *

 

Still.

Maybe you’re being petty, but despite what you’ve seen, you’re absolutely not going to just sit around at home like she wants. No, not despite it. _Because_ of it. She honestly can’t just expect you to sit on your hands, after you saw the kind of danger she’s facing with just that prick in the suit.

...Not that you really know whether or not he’s a prick, you guess. But that’s besides the point.

Sure, okay, you can’t really fight off demons, but that’s not the only job that needs to be done. You know the Shomonkai are looking after people in the park, so you leave that to them. But there’s plenty of people in the city who are either too distrustful of the group, or feel safer in their own homes. They need help too. You’ve been trying to be careful with how you dole out your supplies - you hate to just consider ‘first come, first serve’, but when you’re limited the way you are, you can’t just save everything for hypothetically worse injuries.

And even this early, there’s plenty of people hurt. There’s been a food drop every morning, but they’re also pitiful in what they provide every morning. People get hurt, trampled or deliberately beat up, over scraps. You’re lucky to have your apartment, but with everyone you’re trying to help, you’re already dangerously low on supplies. And you don’t want the Daemons to spread their own resources any thinner - there’s so many of them, and they’ve gotta fight for everything they have.

Soon you’ll probably have to throw yourself into the bloodbath too... not something you’re looking forward to.

For now, at least, you can focus on taking care of the injured. But it’s not long before you’re frustrated with your own limitations. Disinfecting and bandaging is already more than more of the people here can expect to get, but it’s just not enough. There’s too many people you have to turn down, too many you can try to help but are lacking the supplies to feel confident about it.

It’s not even noon when you finally have to call it quits for the day, and save what you have left. Some of the people who were waiting for help yell at you, calling you selfish. The taunts aren’t bad enough to provoke you, but the fact that you have to stop offering what little help you can stings. As you make your way back to your apartment, you try and think of something else you can do. Knowing about demons, you wonder, is there anything a regular person is capable of? Maybe if you got some kind of weapon, like a pipe or bat or something, you could at least drive off a weaker one. Not all of them are as strong as the ones Mari was fighting - you’ve seen little ones before, you could probably take something like that just fine, if you were careful.

A part of you stirs, almost excitedly, at the idea of fighting again. It’s been a while, and even longer since you fought anyone seriously, but it sometimes feels like your body still remembers the movements. You’ve kept in shape and all, if you gave yourself a chance...

You take a small detour on the way back, going through some of the other warehouses just outside the Daemons’ district. You know better than to try and get anything from them - even before Mari took charge, your brother spent a long time limiting how much fighting you did - but there might be something left behind by accident. And it keeps pricking at the back of your mind. If demons are real, if they’re really powerful enough for Mari to need help keeping them back, then... even Hisashi couldn’t have fought one off by himself.

Hadn’t you thought, over and over, that someone like him couldn’t be killed that easily? Especially in a way that obviously violent.

A demon, though. A demon could have managed.

And then you get your answer. You force open a sliding door, letting the early sunlight cast long shadows onto the dusty cement floors. It takes a second to realize what’s lying in front of you. The thin, shriveled husk doesn’t look anything like a dead body at first glance.

When it hits you, you stop breathing. For just a second, you’re back in the park again.

You let out a noise halfway between shriek and choke, stumbling backwards so fast you trip and fall to the ground, blinking rapidly until your brain catches up with your eyes and you realize it’s not him, it’s someone else, some other person with the same shit luck he had.

Something cackles in the shadows. You hear an almost slithering movement as a dark form appears in front of you. “ _My oh my, a second course already? It’s my lucky day!_ ” Then it pauses, and the dark figure suddenly stands straight, a long-limbed figure in clothes that look old enough to rot. Then it cackles again, so high pitched it hurts your ears, and leans down into your face. It’s skin is stretched so tightly, it may as well just be a skull. “ _No, looks like it’s your’s,_ ” it says, grinning wide enough to show it’s too-long incisors, before disappearing. A crow’s in front of you now, and as it takes flight, it opens its beak and that same awful taunt shrieks out.

That. That was it, wasn’t it? The demon that got- that _murdered_ Hisashi...

Your throat closes on itself. You want to throw up, but you force it back down. And without wasting another second, you get to your feet and run after it.

It won’t get away. There’s a lot of things you’re ready to accept you can’t do right now, but letting your brother’s murderer escape, when it was right in front of you? No fucking way. You don’t care that it’s a demon, that it’s already killed people, that you don’t have anything to fight it with. It’s a bird right now, you can catch it. Break it’s wing. _Something_. Whatever you have to do to hunt that monster down and figure out a way to kill it.

“ _How interesting_ ,” A voice says, just in front of you, “ _You truly feel that strongly about it?_ ”

You’re surprised into stumbling, and out of the corner of your eye spot a white cat watching you from a window sill. It leaps down, transforming into a man- no, wait, obviously he can’t be a human if he can do that. It has to be another kind of demon. You step back, eyeing him carefully. He’s definitely human-like, more so than the other demons you’ve seen, but that’s no proof of anything.

He holds up a gloved hand and says, _“My apologies for startling you. I sensed Kudlak in the area, and was trying to find him without giving myself away._ ” He sighs and looks up the road. “ _His senses have grown sharper from his time in this world, though. I’ve yet to come any closer to him._ ”

“What are you then, some kinda demon cop?”, you ask, squinting at him and pushing your glasses up.

His lips twitch into a brief smile. “ _In a way, though he is my sole jurisdiction. I alone have the power to defeat Kudlak. Which is why I must insist you give up your search_ ,” he says, voice soft but firm, “ _Even if you killed him yourself, he would only come back more powerful._ ”

You snap,

“No. No, no, no. No way _in hell_ am I just sitting around when that thing’s on the loose. You just fucking said you can’t keep up with him - why should I leave it up to you? I mean, do you even realize where this is? My friend’s staying not far, almost everyone I know is, and if she found out, if she knew that was the thing that killed my brother, she’ll-”

If Mari knew, she’d stop at nothing to kill it. And it’d just get stronger. And no matter how tough she is, sooner or later...

The thought knocks the wind out from you. You can’t continue, you have to use everything you have not to think about losing her. Losing anyone. The demon watches you, and in a curious tone, asks, “ _Are you truly that determined to do something yourself?_ ”

You nod, fervently, until your throat feels clear enough to say, “Yeah.”

He rubs his cheek, and with some hesitation, asks, “ _Then perhaps you would consider a partnership. As I said, Kudlak can sense me as I can him, and when he does, he runs before I can do anything. If I had a vessel to reside in, however, I would be shielded from him, and we could fight him together._ ”

“A vessel?” You blink. “Like, you’d possess me?”

“ _Yes_ .” The demon pauses, then continues, more sternly, “ _I realize this would be a great risk to you. Fighting Kudlak in your body would mean putting you directly in harm’s way, as well as making you give up full control of yourself. I understand if you can’t trust me under such circumstances._ ”

Listening to him has cooled your head a little. You take a few seconds to think about his offer. “If anyone else kills this Kudlak guy, he’ll come back. But if you do it, he’s gone for good?”

“ _Yes._ ”

“...Okay,” you say, with a nod, “I’m in. Whatever it takes, I’ll help you kill Kudlak, once and for all.”

The demon smiles. “ _Very well. It is a contract, then._ ” He holds out a gloved hand. “ _Call my name to seal it, human. I am the demon Kresnik._ ”

“It’s Tadashi Nikaido, not ‘human’,” you say, taking his hand and looking him in the eye, “Let’s get this demon together, Kresnik.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all very much for the continued support! If you have any feedback you'd like to add, or even if you just wish you could give an extra kudos, please feel free to leave a comment! I always appreciate them.


	21. Day 4, part 2

Gin manages to get a block away before you manage to catch up. And even then, you moved before you really have a chance to think about what you’re going to say to him. But you need to say  _ something _ . “Would you just wait a sec?” You shout, grabbing him by the shoulder and making him turn around towards you. “What’s with you? We’ve saved people before, so it doesn’t matter if Haru’s next on the list-”

“You just don’t get it!” He knocks your hand away, glaring. “Even though she’s done nothing but save people since she got her COMP - she’s still gonna get murdered! Not just killed fighting demons. Actually  _ murdered _ .”

You can’t help but blink at that. Now you’re  _ completely  _ lost. “What difference does that make?” Dead is dead either way, and knowing how she’s gonna die just makes it easier to stop.

“How can you ask that? It’s completely different!” He throws his arms out, looking caught between helplessness and aggression, “These people, who are only alive because of Haru, we’ve  _ tried  _ reasoning with them. Tried convincing them. It doesn’t  _ work _ . Even if we stop them today, someone- someone’s just gonna try again.” He’s not looking at you, he’s looking somewhere past you now, eyes boiling over to near-tears. You feel fidgety watching him. You don’t have the slightest clue how you’re suppose to defuse this. Could Amane and Naoya just hurry and catch up to you two...

...No, c’mon, you can try at least. You shrug, laugh a little, to lighten the mood, “Well, what can you do? Not like you can just poof humans back to another dimension the way you can demons.”

Gin gets very quiet then and doesn’t answer right away. Then he continues to turn away, and says, “No. But you  _ can _ still make sure they don’t hurt anyone ever again.”

...

Uh.

You hear your friends’ footsteps closing in behind you, but you’re too stunned to do anything but stare right at Gin. At the easy-going, eager-to-please guy who used to hang off your every word. And try to understand if he’s suggesting what you think he is.

“What, like, kill them?” You laugh again, reach to grab his arm again, “C’mon, Gin, you know that’s not what I meant.”

He doesn’t let you touch him, quickening his pace as he walks away. “It doesn’t matter, it’s the only option here. If they’re going to kill her, then that’s just what I have to be prepared to do to keep her safe.”

“Gin,” Amane steps forward, voice authoritative enough to make him pause where you couldn’t, “Nothing has happened yet. If we act quickly, then no one will get hurt at all. You can’t punish someone for a crime that hasn’t happened yet.”

At that he turns to face her, his focus slipping right off of you. “But if we don’t do something, they’ll just try and do it again!”

Amane stands straight before him, not even flinching. “You don’t know that, and you are not in a position to make that call. You are not the judge, jury, and executioner. What you  _ are  _ is a person with a weapon that normal people do not. It’s your responsibility to-”

“It’s my responsibility to  _ help  _ people! To keep Haru  _ safe _ ! You-” he turns to Naoya now, eyes desperate and certain, “You agree, right? That cult that attacked you yesterday, you can’t possibly it’s right to just let them keep running around hurting people with no one stopping them. They have to be  _ stopped _ .”

“Do you think people getting away with being shitty is something  _ new _ ?” Naoya says, crossing his arms, “It’s not. Humanity’s always been garbage. That  _ still  _ doesn’t give you a pass on killing people. And making a big show of it your only option just because you’re frustrated doesn’t either.”

Gin stumbles back a step, looking between the three of you. “So it’s just that easy for you all, then? To just throw your hands up and act like there’s nothing you can do to make a difference? Well, I’m not like that - I’m going to change this lockdown. I’ll make it safe for people who are trying to help. No matter what.”

Then he turns and leaves. You grab his wrist, try again to say, “That’s not what they’re saying. Would you relax? It’s not worth getting  _ this  _ worked up over.”

He hesitates then, and you start to think that he’s finally listening. Then you notice, he’s shaking a little. You can feel it, and it surprises you into letting go. Without looking back, he just says, “I’m not like you either. And I can’t be. I can’t just... decide not to care about people. I  _ won’t _ .”

It's not the words that leave you standing there while he rounds a corner and slips out of view, really. The weird, hurt way he said them does. How long has he been thinking that...? No, more importantly, what did that have to do with any of this? It’s not like you suggested ignoring Haru or anything. You’re almost feeling indignant by the time you hear Naoya say, “Think we should try to catch up and fight him? The way he’s talking, I really don’t think he should have a COMP right now.”

You pause, then turn and laugh. “C’mon, he’s talking big, but he can’t really mean all that. If we give him some time to cool off, I’m sure he’ll realize how nuts he sounded.”

Naoya raises an eyebrow. “You think? Seemed pretty serious to me.”

“I... yeah. I mean- he was never, like, violent or anything. Even if he says that’s what he thinks he should do, there’s no way he could go through with it that easy.” With a flash of inspiration, you add, “And  _ besides _ , if we waste our time on that, we might miss out on finding Haru! No one wants that, right?”

Amane takes a step closer to you. “Loki, are you alright? You seem upset."

It takes a second to decide how to answer. You finally settle on admitting, “I mean, sure, it’s not exactly how I thought this morning was gonna go. But I’m fine. Nothing I can’t deal with.”

She eyes you for a long second, then nods and gets back on subject, “Well, if we’re both going to be looking for Haru, then we’ll either run into him there, or stop it by ourselves. And if it’s the former, we’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything drastic.”

It’s a plan. And better than that, it’s a plan that  _ doesn’t  _ require chasing down Gin and asking follow-up questions. You hope they can’t tell you’re relieved. 

 

* * *

_ Hunt for Haru: The Sequel _ does not get off to a smooth start.

You wouldn’t have thought finding a red-headed demon summoner in a city would be difficult, but as you start to discover, there’s two complications. The first is that demon sightings have steadily become the norm.  _ Everyone  _ willing to talk to you has a story about being attacked, or seeing someone get hurt. Hell, you managed to get jumped twice in the middle of questioning - and once people got a look at your own demons, that ended any chance of finishing. 

The second is that, similarly, Haru’s infamy has only grown since yesterday. Once again, almost everyone has a story about where the ‘witch’ is, how she was conjuring demons in the dead of night, how she dresses in black and red to hide the stains of her victims. 

“What happens to her is a result of her own weakness, for giving into temptation,” one woman says, eyes cold and posture stiff, “The power of demons corrupts without fail. Your government has been far too lenient. Remiel as well. Humanity should be forsaken.”

Cheery. Certainly one of the more creative stories. It’s an effort you’d appreciate under better circumstances.

You’re all about to resign yourselves to just randomly searching the streets, when you manage to spot Shoji. Now her, you actually think you can count on for info. She’s helped you before, you point out to Amane and Naoya, and she’d probably be way more credible than the average person. It doesn’t take much to convince them, and you hurry over to catch her before she leaves. In fact, you’re so focused, you don’t even notice the other familiar face with her until you’ve already got an arm up to wave a greeting.

“Alright, I can ask around. Then we’re- oh, hey, you kids,” Shoji says, and next to her, Keisuke turns to look at you.

“Ah, this is a surprise,” he says, then gives a small, tired smile, “Though I’m glad to see you’re all safe.”

Naoya glances between them, eyebrow raised. “You two know each other?”

Shoji shrugs. “Not really - but when a guy saves you from getting your head bitten off, you make friends quick.”

“Guess you could say the nekomata’s out of the bag, huh?” You ask with a grin, which she gives a generous amused snort.

“Cute. But yeah, I’ve seen them. Hard not to, really, especially when you spend all night outside.” She pushes some hair back behind her ear. “I’m more surprised at how few bodies I’ve seen in comparison. You’d think the streets would be littered at this rate.”

Paying her no attention, Naoya instead shoots an accusatory glare at Keisuke. “Well I see  _ you  _ don’t listen to advice very well. I told you getting involved was a terrible idea.”

Keisuke’s smile tightens a little, but he shrugs easily enough. “I already had a COMP when you said that, I’m afraid. And someone has to keep Midori safe.”

“Speaking of - how is she? Is she not with you now?” Amane asks.

“She’s been staying in my apartment with a... new friend of her’s.” He sighs. “She hates just sitting around, though, I’m not sure how long she’ll put up with it. And of course I don’t want to just shut her away until the lockdown lifts, but... you can understand why I’m worried, surely.”

Amane nods, frowning slightly. Haru may come first, but the Laplace mail this morning was pretty damn grim for Midori too. And even not knowing that, seems like Keisuke’s well aware what number she has left. 

“So what were you asking Shoji for that’s so important you had to leave Midori by herself?” Naoya prompts.

Keisuke hesitates, shares a glance with Shoji, then volunteers, “Well, you have helped me a great deal already - maybe this is something you should all know about.”

“Four-eyes here was asking me to look into his friend’s disappearance,” Shoji says, pointing a thumb over at him, “He thinks it’s linked to the Shomonkai.”

“Aya - you know her, right? From D-va,” he asks Amane, who nods, “About six months ago, she just... completely vanished. It was around the time of the explosion. She’d mentioned the Shomonkai to me before that, but only briefly, and I hadn’t really connected the two before now, but...”

Naoya asks, “Aya is the one who gave Midori that sequencer, right?”

Keisuke seems puzzled at the question, but nods. Huh. So the demon-summoning sequencer came from a woman possibly involved in the Shomonkai. Guess that shoots down your theory of multiple summoning sources. Darn, you’d liked that one. Naoya seems to be absorbing this piece of info carefully, and doesn’t bring up Kazuya. So you change the subject, “Journalist by day, detective by night, huh? You’re quite a woman of mystery~”

“Well,” Shoji says, a small smirk ghosting her face, “Don’t underestimate what a journalist is ready to do for a story they care about.”

“Agreed. It’s crucial we expose the Shomonkai’s crimes and the lockdown itself as widely as possible,” Keisuke pushes his glasses up with a distracted look, “And it can’t wait until after everything is over. Not with Midori to consider.”

Very sharp, Amane asks, “Have they approached her?”

“Not while I’ve been around her. But once or twice while we’ve been out, I’ve noticed one of their members nearby, watching her. It’s always the same one - a tall, older man, with black hair.”

Amane’s eyes widen, and the name practically falls out - “Azuma?”

Shoji tilts her head, almost looking too casual. “You know him?”

Looking like she briefly forgot Shoji was there, Amane blinks at her, then closes her face right back up.

“You know, I was wondering,” she says, “You said your name is Amane Kuzuryuu - I’ve heard the leader of the Shomonkai called with the same family name. Any relation?”

Amane sighs. “Yes. I’m his daughter. Though I haven’t been involved with the organization for several years now.”

Keisuke, who had started narrowing his attention towards her, deflates at the addition. “So then you wouldn’t know-”

“About anything that happened six months ago? No.” She shakes her head. “When I left, my father made sure to sever my ties with the group quite thoroughly. I don’t believe he’s said two words to me since then.”

You spot Shoji taking notes.

“Of course, I probably don’t have to say this,” you say, stepping towards her with a wide grin and pushing the notebook down so she can look at you, “But that’s all 100% off the record. I’d hate for this budding friendship to be ruined over that kind of misunderstanding.”

“Oh, yeah, don’t worry. This is just for my own reference,” Shoji says, casually brushing you off and flipping to a new page. “I wouldn’t double-cross my sources, and you guys are way more useful as that then enemies. No one else is gonna see this.” It’s a reasoning that works for you - you trust practicality more than you would sentiment. Naoya makes a face at her anyway, though.

Amane, of course, takes it in stride, and turns back to Keisuke, “In any case... if Azuma is doing something, it’s because my father told him to do it. I believe you’re right to be worried about his intentions.”

Keisuke lets out a sigh, looking both relieved and very tired all of a sudden. “Then you understand? It’s not enough to just keep Midori safe for today. If I can at least make sure the Shomonkai won’t be a threat to her, then I can focus my energies better.” He looks over at Shoji, a determined glint in his eye. “Besides... now may be my best chance to get information on the Shomonkai. If we can find out what happen to Aya and compile evidence against them, I can make sure they face justice when this lockdown lifts.”

“Sure you don’t mean ‘if’, not ‘when’?” Shoji adds, tapping her pen against her chin, “Plenty of doomsayers around these days. They may be on to something.”

Keisuke frowns. “I have no intention of treating the world like it’s already over. There’s still things that everyone can do to improve the situation, myself included.”

She laughs a bit then, and hits him roughly on the back. “Well said! I knew you had a good head on your shoulders.” It rocks him a bit, but he smiles, looking amused enough.

“I agree,” Amane says, a little quietly. “This can’t just end with the lockdown lifting. Whatever help I can offer, I’d be glad to.” 

She glances over at the two of you, and with a sigh, Naoya says. “Yeah, I know, we’ll help. We’ve got some things to do first, but we can check in on Midori later, if you want?”

Keisuke eyes you all for a second, then nods and eases into a smile. “That would be great, thank you. Here, I’ll give you my address - she should be staying in my apartment.”

While Amane takes it down, Shoji waves you and Naoya over. “Before I forget - how was that escape route I told you about?”

Naoya rolls his eyes. “Isn’t it obvious? We’re still here.”

You throw in, before she can feel disappointed, “You should stop by, though! There were some kinda special forces that didn’t look like the SDF. Might get some good intel from them!”

Shoji whistles. “See? This kinda thing is what makes you kids so helpful. I’ll definitely have to check that out. Got anything you want in exchange?”

“Yeah. Know anything about a red-headed girl in a black hoodie summoning demons?”

She takes a second to flip through her notes, and says, “Actually, yeah. There’s been a few groups clustering around talking about ‘teaching the witch a lesson. From what I’ve heard, they’re heading for Shinjuku right now.”

Amane looks over at you three and says, “We better head there right away. I’m sorry to leave so abruptly-”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you again for the help,” Keisuke says, giving her hand a quick shake. “Good luck finding your friend. I’m sorry I can’t do more myself-”

She shakes her head. “Don’t apologize. Stretching yourself too thin won’t do anyone good.” With a quick wave, you start making your way up. You’ve always had a good understanding of Tokyo’s layout, but the last few days have really imprinted it in your head. Maybe by the time this week is over, you’ll have the whole thing memorized.

“God...” Naoya says once you’re a few streets down, rubbing at the side of his head, “Are we gonna have to try and solve  _ everyone’s  _ problems for them in this stupid lockdown?”

“Don’t be like that,” you say, laughing and slinging an arm around his neck, “Just consider it practice for when you’re a messiah~”

He shoots you a look of abject disgust. “Don’t call me that, ever again.”

“You’re really that against it?” Amane asks.

“All I know is, either it’s the Shomonkai’s plan, making it inherently untrustworthy. Or it’s some mysterious third party we haven’t even met, making it inherently untrustworthy,” he grumbles, “And c’mon. You don’t really buy into that whole ‘it’s the only way’ schtick, right?”

Amane turns and faces forward when she says, “...No, I don’t.” ‘- _ But _ ’ hangs off the edge of her statement, as clear as if you could see it. Naoya leaves it there, and argument remains unspoken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all very much for the continued support! If you have any feedback you'd like to add, or even if you just wish you could give an extra kudos, please feel free to leave a comment! I always appreciate them.


	22. Day 4, part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all very much for the continued support! If you have any feedback you'd like to add, or even if you just wish you could give an extra kudos, please feel free to leave a comment! I always appreciate them.
> 
> Also, just as a warning: mentions of suicide ideation in this chapter!

You’re so tired, you think as you stumble back and catch yourself against a wall. Not a surprise, you guess. You haven’t slept much the last couple days. Last night, you didn’t at all. Couldn’t, not out in the open like you were, and not with all the demons suddenly coming out in droves with the sun down. Haven’t really eaten much either, you guess. You’ve been running on auto-pilot more often than not, moving only to find more demons and take them out.

You knew from the start it was only a matter of time until you lost - to humans, to demons, it doesn’t really matter. So at least, if you could just fight off as many demons as possible first, then you’ll have done something good. Something tangible, that really changes the world.

But now...

You blink slowly out towards the crowd starting to gather around you. Everyone’s angry, and you guess you don’t blame them for that. You haven’t been careful. Everyone said so yesterday. You’ve known something like this would happen eventually.

They’re shouting, getting closer, and a small part of you urges you to run, but... it’s all too distant. You’re too tired. Your legs shake a little under you, and you have to lean against the building to stay up. Better you than someone else, you guess.

You don’t notice when the crowd turns away from you. Not right away. But you hear the shouting, and see the new demons, and it takes a few alarmed seconds for it to register that it’s Gin’s friends and not random predators. It’s clear once you do notice, though. The demons appearing snap and claw at the people, but they don’t chase them down like they could have. And you hear your name being called.

“Haru, come this way!” The girl, Amane, says, while a winged lady-like demon swoops down and blows back a woman who tries to come between you.

You thought you were tired before? The level you were on drops out from under you, sending you falling to a new low. You desperately wish you didn’t have to move. “Don’t- don’t bother,” you try to protest, “It’s fine, I can handle this on my own. You guys should just-”

But they don’t believe you, clearly. You don’t even think they’re listening. They keep fighting anyway, their demons driving people back and clearing a space around you. Giving you an out.

You want to scream at them. They’re wasting their time. You didn’t ask for them to help you.

The impulse flares, and then it too gets swallowed by your exhaustion. If you’re not going to fight the people trying to kill you, what’s the point in fighting the people risking their lives to help you? That’s the thought you cling to, that pushes you away from the wall, towards them.

And then, from the corner of your eye, you see Gin.

You hadn’t realized, at first, that he wasn’t with the other three. In fact, you have to look between them to drive it home to yourself. It gives you a bad feeling, and the way his friends react to it, taking their attention off the mob towards him, cements it.

One of the men, nervously pushing up a pair of sunglasses, says, “Who’re you? Don’t get in our way! We’re outta here-”

No one seems to be paying you any attention right now. Good. You hurry and run to turn the corner of the building behind you. If they’re all focused on each other, you can slip away easy. You can just... go and...

And then what?

Your steps are faltering already, and you feel dizzy. You can hear the fighting behind you. The fight that’s happening because of you. The COMP in your pocket feels very heavy all of a sudden.

Someone grabs you by the hood, yanking you back tumbling to the ground.

“You- this is all your fault,” a woman says, her shoulders shaking. “You lured us into a trap! You wanted to get us all killed!” You stare up at her, stuck without words to defend yourself or even question her. Her face is twisted with anger and desperation, and you see a brick in one of her hands.

Then you’re both swathed in shadow. A demon, with a red face and dark, billowing robes, looms over her. You see flames flickering under her feet, and without thinking, pull her down and away from them before the fire bursts up from the ground at its command.

“Weren’t you people looking for a fight?” You hear Gin say, before you see him. His voice is low, even, and his eyes... they don’t look quite how you remember them. “Well _fine_. Come and get me. Yama will judge you all.”

The woman screams, and scrambles up and away from him and you as fast as she can, but Yama moves faster. You don’t have to think about what you do next. You pull out your COMP, and Pendragon appears, lumbering towards Yama and pinning him down before he can reach the feeling woman. It won’t hold him long, though, not with pendragon’s weakness to fire. But it’s enough if you can buy time...

Gin steps towards you then, holds out a hand. “Sorry. I wanted to get here faster.”

You stare at it, then him, and ask, “What are you even doing here? I told you, I don’t need help.”

He smiles, but it looks strange too. It’s thin and too wide. “I know you did. You didn’t want to worry anyone, right?” He leans down, grabs your wrist and pulls you up himself. “Don’t worry, I understand. You’ve been working so hard, all by yourself. So you should leave this much to me. I’m not going to let them hurt you.”

“You already did that - look, she’s running away,” you say, trying not to let your voice shake.

He shakes his head. “That’s not enough. If they tried it once, they’ll just try again. Don’t worry - it’s Yama who’s judging them,” that smile again, stretching even further, “If their sins are heavy enough to warrant his punishment, then they can’t be good people.”

As soon as he lets go of your arm, you snatch the COMP from his pocket and run.

“Ah- Haru!” He starts to say, but you don’t listen. What happened to him? It has to be the demons’ fault. Those people were right. They’re evil, they’re corrupting people.  If you just get rid of this for him, then he’ll go back to normal. That Yama demon will disappear. Everything will be fine. You raise and arm, and smash the COMP against the pavement with all the strength you have.

It shatters. You turn to look back at him, a grin just barely touching your lips before it dies. Yama is still there, hovering over his shoulder. Gin stares at you, confused.

“What did you do that for?” He blinks, but there's still no anger, not towards you. Just more of that slow, almost hurt puzzlement.

You hear over your shoulder, “Shit... is this like with Mari?” With a start, you turn and see the gray-haired boy behind you. He catches your eye and says, “Look, everyone else has run away already. We should get out of here too.”

“Naoya... I don’t understand anything about you. Or the others, for that matter.” Gin says, half stunned, half disgusted. “Why are you bothering to help people like that?”

Naoya ignores him.

And then, very suddenly, Yama is in front of you both. He peers down at Naoya carefully, and when he speaks, his words are careful, “ _Human. You should consider yourself fortunate you do not fall under my authority._ ” Naoya stands stiff and straight, but you see his expression tighten. “ _But do not think your crimes have been overlooked._ ”

“Noted,” Naoya mutters, and his COMP flashes to reveal a Loa and Orthus. The Loa’s eyes glint, and you see Yama stiffen, to the point it doesn’t move. Naoya jumps onto Orthus and holds out a hand to pull you up. You take it, and the demon charges off.

When you look back, you see Gin makes no move to follow you, even as you go down streets and he winds up completely out of view.

A couple of blocks down, and you see Amane and Loki waiting on the steps of an apartment building. Orthus slows to a stop, and disappears, letting you and Naoya drop unceremoniously to the ground. You try to stand and brush off what just happened so you can slip away quickly... but you’re so light-headed, the movement nearly makes you fall over. Amane catches you and says, “Careful. Did you get hurt?”

“No, nothing like that, I’m fine...”

“If you’re gonna lie, you could at least _try_ to be convincing,” Naoya says, while Amane helps you sit down on the stoop. “Loki, do you have anything left?”

“You got it!” The third kid, Loki apparently, answers, pulling a protein bar out of his pocket and holding it out to you. “Not much, but it’s better than nothing.”

You start to open your mouth and turn it down, but the way they’re all looking at you makes avoidance seem like an impossibility. Silently, you take it and start to eat.

“Well, with that out of the way,” Naoya says, leaning against the railing, “We’ve got something more pressing to worry about.” Then he looks at you, still chewing on the snack, and asks, “Like what exactly you plan on doing next?”

...You take your time chewing to put off answering, but his glare doesn’t so much as twitch away the whole time. These guys are definitely more persistent than you expected. When you swallow, you say, “What else? I’ll get back to work.”

“Haru,” Amane says, gently, “Do you really think that’s the best option? It’s only going to get more dangerous, and with you on your own-”

“I knew that already,” you say, “And it was your own choice to get involved. I didn’t ask you to.”

Naoya says, “You didn’t, but it’s not like we can just sit around when we know you’re trying to kill yourself either.”

When put that bluntly, you don’t really know what to say. You should deny it. Right, of course. But you can’t quite make yourself open your mouth and insist they’re wrong. You’ve already hesitated too long to be convincing, and the silence just gets heavier the longer you wait. Finally, you answer with, “It’s not that I’m... trying to kill myself. It’s just...”

“You don’t care if you die.”

You flinch a little. It’s pathetic, that you were apparently this obvious about it.

Loki shifts, putting his chin in his hand. “Got anything to do with why your blog changed?”

All of you jump a little and look at him at that. Naoya narrows his eyes. “You knew about this from the start?”

“Well~ I didn’t know exactly,” but his tilts his head and keeps his eyes on you, “But all your oldest entries, you’d post about what you’ve been doing, the kind of week you’d had. All kinds of stuff. And then you just up and stopped writing more than a couple of sentences with your pictures a few months back. Did you think _no one_ noticed?”

You fidget. You hadn’t wanted it to be a big deal. No one who followed you to read about clothes cared about your whining. But if he’s going to ask... “My parents died a while ago,” you say, eyes fixed on the empty wrapper in your hands and trying to be as blunt and nonchalant about answering as they were about asking, “I’ve been living with a few different relatives since then... and I didn’t want to keep explaining why I was in a new school or house every couple of weeks. So I stopped talking about any of it.”

And. And you liked that the people reading your blog didn’t know. That there was one place that you didn’t have to think about any of that crap. You could write your dumb, self-indulgent poems and post your photos and no one had to feel sorry for you and you didn’t have to justify anything.

“Hm, I’m guessing that your new ‘family’ isn’t really up to snuff, huh?” Loki says. When you don’t answer, he laughs and says, “That’s fine, haven’t met one yet that is! Mine probably hasn’t even noticed I’m not there yet.”

You blink, sit up a little straighter and look at him.

“I’m guessing you ran away, right?” He shrugs. “I’ve done that too. Snuck out, stayed away as long as I could. Gets some of the pressure off.”

“Y...yeah,” you say, nodding a little, and looking back down at your hands. “I mean... I’m grateful. And I... I want to make them happy. But it’s so much work. If I slip up even a little-”

“Then you may as well have never done anything right at all.”

It’s Amane who finishes your sentence. She smiles a little bitterly, pushing some hair back. “...I can understand that much at least. It’s suffocating, always having to fit into a tiny margin of error. It winds up feeling like you’re not really... a person.”

Hearing it from someone else makes something loosen in your chest. You nod, blinking back the start of tears, and work to keep your breathing even. “I... yeah. Yeah. They can. Throw you away so easily, when you can’t be what they want. And always being what they want is just... impossible.”

Amane sits down next to you. “That’s right. Of course being perfect is impossible, if not harmful - that isn't your fault. It’s something that’s wrong with them, if they can’t accept that.”

“...But I have to go back eventually,” you say, your fists tightening so hard, you feel your nails digging into your palms, the stiff wrapping paper stinging as you press it harder and harder against you. “It doesn’t _matter_ if they’re the ones wrong. I still have to go back to them. And I’m so... _so_ tired of it. Of feeling useless. Like everyone’s just putting up with me.” You look up at them, pleading for them to understand. “You’re saying you know how I feel, right? Then you should know I can’t go back to that. I _can’t_. And you can’t ask me to.”

And then, after standing silently aside, Naoya finally says something. “Okay. You want to feel useful? Then stick with us.”

You blink up at him. “Why?”

“You saw what’s going on with Gin, right? We need to either beat him or convince him to stop. And I don’t think any of us have a shot in the dark with the latter.”

The proposal takes a few seconds to sink in. “I... I barely know him, though.”

“Sure, but he actually likes you. Didn’t even try to fight you, from the look of it. So you’ve got us all beat there.” Loki and Amane share a look and then reluctantly nod in agreement. Naoya continues, “Besides, you’ve held your own fighting demons by yourself since yesterday, right? So we know we won’t have to hold your hand through all this. Frankly, we could use all the help we can get.”

For a second, you forget to breath. You finally say, quietly, “That won’t... change anything after the Lockdown.” It won’t make your family easier to live with. It won’t make you happy to be in that house.

“No,” he says, “But it _is_ something only you can help us with.”

You still hesitate to answer. Take a breath. And look up at them. “...Okay. But if I wind up slowing you down, I’ll leave. I won't hold you back.”

Naoya, to your surprise nods. “Fair enough. What do you guys think?”

“That’s fine. I’m certain it won’t be a problem,” Amane says simply, giving you a small smile.

“Finally! Y’know, I’ve been wanting to ask you about some things for a while.” Loki grins eagerly. “Like, what thrift stores have you been going to, now that you’re living here? I don’t have any luck with the ones I’ve found at all.”

 _...It’s just for now_ , you tell yourself, as you answer his question. If Gin got this way because he was trying to help you, then you owe it to all of them to help stop him. You don’t have to think beyond that right now.

And when it’s over... well, you’ll see once you get that far.


	23. Day 4, part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all very much for the continued support! If you have any feedback you'd like to add, or even if you just wish you could give an extra kudos, please feel free to leave a comment! I always appreciate them.

With another quick glance over at the silent front door, you struggle to hold back a long, exasperated sigh. Keisuke told you to wait here for him to get back, and you _did_ say you would. But he didn’t tell you how long that’d take and you’re starting to have some second thoughts. You don’t even have a little battery clock to keep track of the time. Just an electric one that’s as dead as everything else.

You curl your legs up underneath you on the couch and focus on the cards in your hands. You’re not going to think about Aya. It’s totally different, what happened with her. Keisuke told you he’d be back. Aya just... waved and said good-night and headed out towards the train.

She... she didn’t look as distracted as Keisuke did, right? And he hadn’t smiled the same way she had, either. And for better or worse, Keisuke was always more reliable than her. Right. Everything was different, and you had nothing to worry about.

While you’re busy thinking about all the reasons you have to not worry, though, your new friend grins and says, “ _No-ho fives~ Hee-go fish!_ ”

“Darn... okay, fine.” You pull a card out of the pile between the two of you, and give an exaggerated pout. No match. But you don’t stay grumpy long watching him scrutinize the one card in his hand. Frosty’s stuck close to you this whole time, ever since you met him, and it’s really been a relief. Not just thanks to the chill in the air that hangs around him, either. You’d summoned demons before, of course, but none stuck around this long. Certainly not long enough to teach dancing or card games.

He peeks at you from over the top of his cards. “ _Got any nines-ho?_ ”

With just a tiny grumble, you turn the offending card over. Frosty slams his final pair down onto the table, little snowflakes poofing up around them. “ _Hee-hee-ho! I won!_ ”

How can you be a sore loser when he’s so excited? You beam and ruffle his hat. “You did! Congrats.” His smile widens and he scurries over to crawl up next to you on the couch. “Okay, you won, so you get to pick what we do next!”

“ _Let’s go-hee-ho outside!_ ”

You start to frown, biting the inside of your lip a little. “We told Keisuke we’d wait-”

“ _But we-hee’ve been here-ho forever. And don’t worry-ho,_ ” Frosty says, pumping his arms, “ _I’ll hee-keep you safe, Midori!_ ”

Well, how can you say no to that? You let yourself grin and say, “Okay, but just for a little bit, okay? If Keisuke came back while we’re gone, his head might overheat from worrying.” Frosty snickers, but nods and starts trotting over to the door. You think about leaving a note, just in case, but... it’d be best to leave and come back without him knowing anything. It’s more fun if you’re sneaking a bit, too. Juuust a little.

Of course, you know you shouldn’t go running around showing Frosty off to people. Even if you _really_ want to, because he’s _so cute_ , who could hate him if you introduced him properly? But it’s just not a risk you want to take. You’d hate for a Demon Tamer to see him and get the wrong idea. If he got into a fight and sent back to the demon world, you’d probably never see him again. So, you scoop him up into your arms. He looks enough like a toy that you think most people will overlook him, as long as he doesn’t talk or anything. Also, he’s nice and cool. A great bonus!

The plan you both agree to is to just go around a couple of blocks, stretch your legs a little and see what’s going on, but that plan gets cut short. On the way back to the apartment, Frosty perks up and starts squirming a little.

“What’s wrong?”

“ _Someone’s calling for help-ho,_ ” He turns to look up at you, his already-large eyes extra wide, and points off in the opposite direction of the street you need to take. “ _I can hee-hear them, they’re really scared-ho! We-hee gotta help them-ho!_ ”

“Okay,” you say, nodding firmly. Secretly, you’re kind of proud that he’s thinking of other people too. Frosty’s already fought off a couple of demons that tried to jump you before. You know that people misunderstand help, sometimes, but if they’re in danger, you’ve just gotta do something. You follow his directions and find... a group of people chasing a group of demons down. Pixies and Jack Frosts, and some you don’t recognize that look like little bird girls. It startles you, and Frosty wriggles out of your loosened grip.

“ _Let’s hee-hurry - I’ll show these Demon Tamers the power of love-ho!_ ”

It takes a second to adjust to what he’s saying. But... you can see it clearly, how the demons are trying to run, how scared they are. And the people’s own demons clearly outmatch them. They’ve got them cornered, almost herding them down an alley where they can’t slip by them-

-Right. If Frosty’s your friend, then you have to help him protect _his_ friends too. You straighten yourself, and shout, “Hey!”, charging into the fight. “What are you doing? Those demons aren’t trying to fight you!”

“Hah?” One of the tamers say, looking over his shoulder skeptically at you, “What are you talking about? A demon’s a demon, we can’t just let them get away.”

“Even weaklings like this,” another says, their Garm shooting a blast of fire just inches away from the desperately scrambling group, already almost pinned at the alley’s dead-end.

“ _Hee-ho, shows what you know!_ ” Frosty says, pumping a fist, “ _I’ll blow you all away-ho!_ ” He launches a wave of icy wind at the attackers, distracting them. You use the chance to slip around and put yourself between the demons and the crowd.

“Don’t worry, we’re here to help,” you whisper to the terrified, suspicious eyes, “You guys just stay behind me until we get out into the open.” They don’t move at first, until a Pixie nods and ducks around behind your shoulders. You look up - there’s a couple of flying demons blocking them from escaping that way.

Okay. Nothing to do but just try and sneak around charge through. You gulp, but you’ve faced scarier things than this before! Frosty’s even here to help you. It’ll be fine.

A bolt of lightning strikes right in front of you.

“What are you doing?” A woman calls, “Get away from those things! They’re just gonna attack more people if they get away!”

You swallow a lump in your throat, and don’t move. “Were they attacking anyone before you started fighting them?”

“They _must have_ , they’re _demons_!”

Which is a ‘no’, then. Or at least not something they could know. You take a breath to steady yourself, and beam over your shoulder at the demons. “Don’t worry, it’s gonna be fine.” That lightning bolt could’ve hit you if they wanted it to, so it looks like these people don’t really want to hurt you. If you can just be a shield for the demons until they get out into the street again, they might be able to get away. You try to catch Frosty’s eye, to let him know that he should launch another attack to distract them.

You don’t even see the Wendigo before you feel its claws in your side, knocking you viciously to the other side of the narrow alley.

“ _Midori!_ ” Frosty shouts, waving his arm and casting a Charm towards you before the wound can even start bleeding. But you’re still dazed, and with the pain dulled already it doesn’t feel real. The other people look surprised too, until one man steps forward.

“If she’s on their side, then she can’t be human!” He shouts, “They’re taking human forms now, trying to trick us!” You blink, try to get to your feet and - and the demons are getting cornered again. You bite your lower lip and try to hurry back towards them.

The Wendigo knocks you back down again with a heavy blow to your back. The people start muttering amongst themselves.

“Could she really be a demon...? Then why isn’t she fighting back?”

“Why else would she want to help them?”

“If she’s strong enough to transform, she must be biding her time! We have to destroy it now, before it can strike back!”

Frosty runs towards you, but takes a full hit from a Pyro Jack’s flames before he can reach you. You have to get over to him - but the other demons too - and the people are talking louder, sounding surer, and you don’t know what to do..

Then you blink, and someone’s standing in front of you. It takes a second, but you recognize her, with a pair of demons at her side. “Amane-!” You start to say, scrambling to your feet, when she turns and gives you a relieved look.

“It’s alright - just stay behind me, I’ll get you out safely.”

Your heart skips a little. It’s just- it’s just so amazing, how she always manages to show up when you need help... maybe she’ll...  “Wait!” You say, grabbing onto her arm, “The demons without tamers - don’t hurt them.”

She hesitates, watches you carefully. “Are you sure?”

“They weren’t trying to fight anyone, they were just trying to run away and these people cornered them.” You tighten your grip on her, willing her to believe you. “Please, they didn’t do anything wrong.”

“...Understood,” she says, turning her attention towards the crowd and away from the smaller demons. You stare, not quite sure you heard her right. She’s just... listening to you, just like that? Your eyes start getting a little wet, and you rub at them before she can notice. You wave the other demons over to you, so they don’t get caught in the crossfire. They don’t waste any time clustering around you.

As soon as a path is cleared, Frosty runs and leaps at you. “ _Midori-ho! You’re okay!_ ”

“You too!” You say, hugging him tight and spinning him, “I’m so glad - I thought you were going to get sent away...”

The noise starts to settle as the tamers’ demons are defeated. Without any partners left to help them, they don’t waste time running away. You give Frosty an extra squeeze, before putting on your brightest smile and saying to Amane, “Thank you so much - all of you! I don’t know what would’ve happened if you didn’t show up.” As you look around at the group, you notice a new red-headed girl with them now, and no sign of their other friend. She seems a little shy, hanging further back from them. You hold out your hand to her and say, “I don’t think I’ve seen you before! I’m the magical Dolly - but my heroes can call me Midori.” You wink. “Nice to meet you!”

She jumps a little at being addressed, and stares at your hand like she doesn’t recognize it. But she does finally take it and give it a quick shake. “Haru. Same.” She looks down. “Sorry, I don’t really listen to your music...”

You laugh. “That’s okay! Thanks for helping me anyway.”

Haru gives a little half-smile and relaxes some. “No problem. It’s... kinda surprising, though. Were you seriously trying to help these demons?”

A little bashful, you shuffle your feet a little. “Yeah. I guess it is sort of unexpected... but thanks for believing me,” you say, to Amane.

She simply nods. “Of course - if you were going to ask something like that, I trust you’d have a reason.”

There it is again - you can’t help but grin at the easy belief. The trust. In your arms, Frosty squirms to look up at you, something a little hesitant in his expression. “ _I thought-ho... I could fight-hee them off with you, ho..._ _didn't hee-mean to get you hurt..._ ”

“I know.” You say, giving him a quick squeeze. “And I decided to help by myself, so you don’t have to feel bad, okay? You didn’t do anything wrong wanting to protect your friends.”

Frosty nods slowly. You catch Naoya staring at him for a few seconds, before looking back up at you and asking, “Did you make a contract with... Frosty?”

You shake your head. “Oh, no, no contract here! We’re friends.”

“... 'Friends'.”

“That’s right! He’s been helping me out a lot since yesterday. And he’s gotten really good at Go Fish.”

Frosty doesn’t seem as energetic as he was, though. He seems kind of distracted and pokes at you to let him down. As you do, one of the Pixies flutters over to you.

“ _Hey, human._ ” She crosses her arms. “ _I’ve never seen anyone do something that stupid. Just what's your game here?_ ”

You giggle a little, getting the feeling it’s a kind of concern. “Of course not - but heroes are supposed to defend the weak, you know!” You make your signature pose at her, two fingers crossed. “And Magical Dolly’s always trying to be a hero.”

She eyes you, then crosses her arms. “ _Hmph. Well I don’t want to be in your debt, so..._ ” She circles you, and the scratches on you and your clothes all disappear.

“ _Me too_ ,” one of the bird-girls says, fluttering over to your side, “ _Call on me if you need a lift anywhere! If I’m here, I’ll lend you a hand._ ” The others nod, offering similar kinds of services - finding you something to eat, or healing you if your get hurt again, that sort of thing. You laugh, waving your hands at them.

“Oh, you guys don’t have to help me, it’s not about rewards... but!” A brilliant idea come to you and you wag your crossed fingers at them, “If you really do want to repay me somehow, then make a promise with me! If you see someone weaker than you in trouble, lend them a hand.”

The demons mutter amongst themselves and look over at you suspiciously. None of them say anything, but you see one or two nod quietly, and one Pixie staring at her own hands trying to mimic your pose, before they finally start moving along. It gives you a good feeling, anyway!

“You really think that’ll help?” Naoya says, crossing his arms.

You nod, emphatically. “I do!”

“They’re demons though,” he says, still eyeing the group of them as they continue up the street and start to scatter, “Haven’t seen a one without a tamer yet that’s had much interest in doing anything for humanity. Other than trimming it down, anyway.”

Loki leans into his line of sight, “Hey, what about your cousin’s friend? That guy seemed pretty chummy.”

“Withholding judgment,” he mutters, without explaining.

You don’t really know what that’s all about, but what matters more is the point you’re trying to make anyway. “That’s not true at all!” You insist, putting your hands on your hips, “Frosty’s already been helping me out. He’s had plenty of chances to hurt me if he wanted, and he hasn’t.” You soften back into a smile. “Demons aren’t that different from people, I bet. Sure, some are bad, and if they’re hurting people, then they’ve gotta be stopped. But people hurt each other all the time too. That doesn’t mean _everyone’s_ bad.”

Naoya’s faces scrunches up like he bit something sour at that, but Amane actually starts to nod.

“I think you may be right... one of the demons I summon has been with me from the start. She’s changed quite a few times since then, but she still seems... very attached to me. That hasn’t changed at all.” She smiles a little, “You may be right, that demons can grow loyal independent of their contracts.”

“That’s right!” You grin, grabbing Amane’s hands, “You totally get it! We can be friends with demons, if we try.“ You look at her, feeling a whole swell of optimism, and before you can even think about it, you say, “You know, you remind me of Aya, a little bit.”

Looking a little caught off-guard, she asks, “How so?”

...Well, you did bring her up. Even if you didn't mean to. Guess you should follow through. A little embarrassed, you say, “See, she... she always used to listen to what I had to say or what I thought, no matter what anyone else thought about it. She actually believed in me.” Okay, this is too embarrassing. You try changing to an easier topic. “You know, she’s the reason I even started singing in the first place!”

“What do you mean?”

It’s no big deal explaining this part. You’d mentioned it in interviews, every now and then. “She was the one who was really interested in it from the start. And she’d get so passionate about it - saying stuff like ‘music is the one thing that connects the whole world’, and ‘it’s a universal language’.” Your chest gets tight and warm remembering it. “Listening to her, I wound up totally agreeing! I started practicing with her, and when she and Keisuke graduated and I saw her trying to be an idol, I knew I wanted to follow her! She even introduced me to the agency and got me into D.Va. I don’t think I could’ve done any of that on my own...”

Loki leans forward a little, hands in his pockets and a curious look on his face. “By the way, that synthesizer. You mentioned before that you used it to summon demons, right? How’d that happen?”

You blink, a little confused at the change of subject. “Well... I mean, with Aya gone, I really spent a lot of time trying to finish the song she left me. And sometimes when I was working on it, a demon would appear. It would disappear a little after I turned the synthesizer off, though, so I didn’t get much chance to talk to them. Or show anyone.”

“So it was always _Aya’s_ song that always summoned the demons?”

...You don’t really like how he asked that. But you were the one who told them about the synthesizer in the first place, so... “Yeah, I guess.”

Naoya asks, sharply, “Did Aya ever say anything about the Shomonkai to you?”

“The cult? Oh, no! Why would she?” You tilt your head, trying to puzzle out the line of questioning. “She wasn’t really religious - more spiritual, I guess.”

“I see...”

As a tense quiet falls amongst the group, you have to ask, “Hey... is- is something going on? About Aya?”

Loki shrugs before anyone else can say anything. “I’d say that’s something you should probably be asking your buddy Keisuke, not us.”

You stop breathing for a second. “Keisuke? Is that why he’s been out all day...?”

No one says anything, and you try to catch Amane’s eye. She sighs. “I’m sorry - it’s really not our place to say. But Loki is right. You should make sure to speak with him later.”

“Right... it’s okay, I understand. But, um,” you make sure to look her in the eye when you ask, “He’s alright, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” she says, without hesitating. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

Finally, you look down and nod. “Okay...”

You change the subject then, and spend a few minutes lightening the air before they go by asking how they’ve been, if they want to rest for a few minutes at Keisuke’s place. They seem as busy as ever, though, and it’s not long before they have to leave.

Once they’re out of sight, you let yourself take a slow, shuddering breath. Didn’t Keisuke ask you to tell him everything? How can he say that and not do the same for you? It isn’t _fair_ . Why does he always have to do things like this, _especially_ now? You sniffle a little and rub at your eyes. When he comes home you’re - you’re really gonna let him have it! No matter what kind of excuse he has.

With that thought fixed firmly in mind, you manage to smile. Keeping it in place, you turn on your heel and say to Frosty, “Okay, well, you heard them! Let’s hurry back-”

You look at the empty space next to you. Then up the street. Then back down, then in the alley, then every single corner and crevice nearby that you can find.

There’s no sign of Frosty anywhere.


	24. Day 4, part 5

Yama leads the way, and you follow. He can tell where the criminals are better than you. He can fight better than you. Especially since now you don’t even have your COMP to aid him, a thought which still bites at the back of your mind. Why did Haru do that...? She was upset, that was obvious, but  _ why _ ? You succeeded, after all. She's still alive. You try to think it through, but before long you realize you just have to accept it as one more thing you can’t understand.

There’s been so many of those recently. One right after the other. How easily so many people turn towards hurting each other as a solution. Amane’s rigidity in acting like laws meant anything in this kind of situation. Loki’s constant shrugging off of everything, no matter how dire. Naoya’s unwillingness to act - to change things - even when he could have been a victim himself.

It was impossible from the start to try and understand people like that. If only you’d opened your eyes sooner. A demon who thinks only of justice, who can tell you with certainty when someone is irredeemable, makes far more sense. 

His words, his decisions, you can trust them completely. There’s no need for doubt now.

...That includes what Yama said about Naoya too. You haven’t forgotten. You tried asking what he meant by ‘authority’, but Yama simply said, “ _ There are countless damned souls awaiting judgment - and no logic in wasting time on one whose sin has already been judged. _ ” Even so, he had made the threat clear. And if Naoya has sin enough to draw Yama’s attention, then maybe it’s no surprise he insists on looking the other way instead of actually doing something about the rest of the criminals.

And besides... was it not Yama who came when you needed him most? Not Loki, not Haru, just him. When you’d run off blindly in search of Haru and found those police officers with demons of their own instead. No one was there to help you fight them when you noticed the man they were surrounding, threatening his life to steal his food. You struggled on your own, but you were outnumbered. They laughed at you and killed him anyway, even as he kept begging for help. And when you were there, alone and desperate and so, so  _ angry _ , it was Yama who appeared. Yama who gave you his strength. 

There was nothing left of them when you two were finished. The scum was burned clean from this world. And you knew that you’d done what was right. It was what you  _ had  _ to do.

If all you can be now that you’ve lost your COMP is a vessel for Yama to enact justice... then that’s fine. No, maybe even better. What was it Amane said? You were just a person with a weapon before, the same as those cops. It was power you could have abused. Now, like this, you don’t even have to worry about being fallible. You can leave absolutely everything up to Yama.

You aren’t surprised when you see the dead old woman in the street. Horror, yes, but not surprise. What does surprise you is the men around her, taking her bag, going through her pockets for more. All three of them are wearing the distinctive uniform of the Daemons. 

Bile rises in the back of your throat. Even they... even these people, who Kaido’s told you about, who you  _ knew _ , are descending this fast? You don’t want to believe it, but it’s right in front of your eyes. Their frenzied looks, their panic, their rage. They haven’t even noticed you’re there yet, they’re so far lost to their bloodlust.

“ _ These criminals have not a shred of remorse _ ,” Yama says gravely, hovering over your shoulder, “ _ There is nothing in their hearts now but greed. _ ”

Still, for a second, you hesitate. Stare at them. Try to understand what’s happening. But the longer you stare, the less they even look like people - certainly not the people Kaido once praised. They look like monsters. Bared teeth, blood on their clothes and hands. There’s no demons corrupting them, no weapon to take away they couldn’t find again. This happened solely because of their own decisions and cruelty. Anyone would agree. They’re beyond anything as simple as realizing they’d done something wrong. They have to be  _ stopped _ .

Yama puts his hand on your shoulder, warm to the touch even in this heat. “ _ There is only one punishment for their sins. _ ”

You nod. Yama leads.


	25. Day 4, part 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all very much for the continued support! If you have any feedback you'd like to add, or even if you just wish you could give an extra kudos, please feel free to leave a comment! I always appreciate them.

“I haven’t seen anyone, and I haven’t done anything,” the man says, cringing away from your group. You keep whatever frustration you feel tightly under wraps, holding your hands up in a pacifying gesture.

“No one’s accusing you of anything,” you say, keeping your voice even, “We’re just looking for a friend of our’s-”

“Well, I haven’t seen him! Please, just leave me alone!” His fear overtakes him, and he outright bolts away from you all. At that, you can’t help but let your shoulders sag a bit. If it had been difficult getting clear information on Haru that morning, it was impossible to get any on Gin now. Fewer people were even willing to stop and answer questions - especially people out on their own like that man. With the increased hostility in the lockdown, you can’t blame them for being suspicious. 

Talking to people who were already in groups was a little easier, but only until Yama came up. As soon as you say you’re looking for someone with a demon, whatever openness they were willing to show seals itself right back up. Whether they themselves have COMPs or not, their hostility is the same.

You turn back to the rest of the group, who don’t seem any more optimistic than you. “We need to try something else,” you have to say, “If all we’re doing is upsetting people, we’re just making things harder on ourselves.”

“Do  _ you  _ have an idea?” Naoya asks, sounding more exasperated than he probably means, “I don’t remember Gin leaving a list of most likely locations around anywhere.”

“No, but we are moving too slowly. The lockdown’s too big to cover every inch of it like this.” You sigh, more thinking out loud than anything. “Perhaps if we split up-”

Immediately, he says, “We’re  _ not  _ doing that again.”

Ah... well, he’s probably right to draw that line.

Haru looks at him, tilting her head. “Did something happen?”

“There’s just a lot of dangerous creeps around,” Naoya says, “We don’t need our group any smaller than it is.” She stares at him pointedly, clearly not satisfied with the explanation.

“Well, long story short,” Loki volunteers, “Turns out, the Shomonkai’s not the only cult around. And  _ definitely  _ not the only cult we’ve had to tussle with.”

She whistles a bit, blowing a bit of hair out of her face. “You guys have sure kept busy the last few days, huh?”

As Loki agrees and elaborates some more on what you’ve all been through, you can’t help wondering what actually happened with that group, specifically. If they really were supporting Belial like they claimed, then they should still be around somewhere hoping to sabotage his competition. You glance over at Naoya. No one’s tried anything yet, but... that’s not enough to reassure you.

“Having some trouble?”

The interruption catches you all by surprise. You turn behind you, where the demon from yesterday stands about half a block up, grinning and holding up Naoya’s bag. “Told you I’d bring this back,” he says, by way of explanation, as he walks towards you all. Naoya zeroes in on it, and in a few quick steps, snatches it right out of the demon’s hands.

While he’s making sure everything’s in one piece, you drop your hand to the COMP in your pocket and ask, “Is that all you came here to do?”

“Relax, I’m not interested in fighting any of you.” He smiles easily. It’s true that you don’t feel any aggression from him, but you don’t move your hand.

“Oh, then you're finally here to answer some of those questions you promised us?” Loki asks. You can feel Haru looking at you all in confusion.

The demon rubs at his chin, his expression turning a little playful. “Oh, don’t worry, I meant every word of what I said. In fact, just take a look through that laptop when you have time, and you should find everything you need!”

Naoya snaps his head up, and starts to say, “Wait a second-” but in another whirl of smoke, and he’s gone. 

Loki gives a short whistle. “Gotta admire the commitment to his theme.”

Haru looks between all of you, “Wait, who was that? A demon?”

“Yep! Friend of Naoya’s cousin, apparently,” Loki says, while Naoya turns back to his bag. Finally satisfied with the laptop’s condition, he zips it closed and throws the strap back over his shoulder, relaxing visibly once it’s there.

You eye it for a few seconds, then look up at him, “Do you want to find out what he meant right now? We can find somewhere safer for you to work.”

He shakes his head. “No. You said it yourself, we need an actual plan on how to tackle the whole Gin thing. We should focus on that first. And besides,” he huffs, “ _ Apparently _ I can just do this whenever. No rush. Can’t be that important.”

“So he knows your cousin...” Haru says, eyes narrowing a little, “Do you think... it’s like Gin and Yama? I mean - Gin acted really strange when I talked to him.  _ Really  _ strange.” She rubs the back of her neck, looking almost embarrassed to be talking. “Maybe it’s not possession, exactly, but I mean... we don’t know much about contracting demons without COMPs. It might have an effect on people.”

Naoya doesn’t say anything right away, but his knuckles clutching his bag are white with the tension. “I don’t know. I mean, we know demons don’t have to contract people to hang around them. It might be more like Midori and Frosty. But if it  _ is _ a contract... then it’s been going on since before I even knew him.”

That’s... a troubling idea. And not one you’re going to dismiss out of hand. What Yuzu said yesterday does make it sound like Kazuya’s being manipulated himself, too, and if you’re going to take her word seriously enough to believe her plan for ending the lockdown, then you’ve got to take that seriously too.

Still. You’re not dismissing it, but if you’re honest, right now it doesn’t change how you feel about Kazuya’s actions very much at all. Perhaps knowing for certain would, but right now...

You’ve gotten a little more used to anger, but you still rarely know what to do with it. It just sits in you more often than not, only slipping out in a word or two until you can finally put it aside and move past whatever caused it. But this - you don’t know how to move past anything Kazuya has done. Is still doing. How  _ can  _ you, when the scale of it all is so monstrous? When you can see first-hand the effect it’s having on not just the people caught in the crossfire, but Naoya too, who it’s all supposed to be for? And every new piece of information you get just makes you less and less inclined to offer any benefit of doubt.

All the anger just sits inside you. There’s nothing you can do with it now; you know Naoya’s struggling enough with his own feelings on the matter. He doesn’t need to worry about your own right now. But when you actually manage to find Kazuya... you hope you’ll know what to do with it all then.

 

* * *

Ultimately, the decision to switch from focusing on finding Gin to investigating the Shomonkai was mostly made out of exasperation. As Loki pointed out, Gin’s clock was at one right now. There was at least a chance that something would show up about him in the Laplace Mail tomorrow, if you all needed that long. Haru seemed a bit anxious at the idea, but once she heard the whole explanation for why you were looking into the Shomonkai at all, she had to agree it was too important to put off when you still had no leads on Gin.

And besides, there were Shomonkai everywhere. You couldn’t go three blocks without finding two or three trying to win new members. It seemed wasteful to not even try to learn anything from them while you were walking past so many. However, while it was much easier to find the Shomonkai, approaching them was not nearly as helpful.

“We don’t know anything about the singer,” the Shomonkai member says, as soon as the name ‘Aya’ crosses Haru’s lips, “And even if I did - that information would belong to the Shomonkai alone. You have no business sniffing around like this.”

He and his partner leave, and you turn to your friends. “I don’t know if I should really be involved with this,” you have to say. “They’re not going to say anything with me around. It might go better if I stay out of sight while you try.”

“Hey, c’mon,” Loki says, “You’re assuming they all have a grudge against you. Maybe some miss you.”

Doubtful. It’s been a few years, after all, and you’re sure your father has not used that time making them sympathetic towards your choice.

Haru glances between you and the pair still retreating up the street as you all start walking away to find more of the members. “So, you really used to be part of this weird cult? Did you have to wear that outfit and everything?” She actually seems interested, which you don’t mind encouraging. Better than her reluctant agreements so far.

“I did, though mine was a little more distinctive... have you seen their ‘maiden’?” Haru nods. “ _ That _ was mine.”

She makes a surprised kind of noise. “How’d you even get out of there? It seems so... hivemind-ish. Couldn’t have been as easy as just walking out.”

You smile, but it feels stiff even to you. “I’m afraid it’s not an especially exciting story. To stay with the group, I’d have had to stop going to school and cut off all ties with the rest of the world. I decided that was unacceptable. Which the Founder decided was equally unacceptable, and excommunicated me.” You sigh. “Of course, thinking about it now, leaving sounds like an easy choice. But at the time, I really couldn’t have made it without help.”

Haru stares at you for a long moment, her green eyes filling with understanding. She eventually turns to look between Naoya and Loki. “So, you guys helped her out?”

“Nah, I didn’t meet them until high school. It was all over by then,” Loki says, waving a hand.

“And I didn’t really do much.” Naoya rubs the back of his neck. “I just managed to insult her, mostly.”

You can’t help smile at that, and pat his arm. “Don’t say that - you  _ did  _ help. Very much.”

He mutters something that you can’t quite make out, but suspect is self-depreciating. More clearly, he says, “Well, even if they don’t tell us anything concrete, we might be able to pick something up from their reactions. We should keep asking around, at least for a while.”

Fortunately, it’s much easier to find members of the Shomonkai, both thanks to their uniform and the street sermons they insist on giving. Unfortunately, the next group doesn’t say anything more helpful. The group after that blusters and overreacts, which may personally confirm your suspicions that Aya disappearance has something to do with them, but not giving you anything real to go off of as far as a solution goes.

Once you get closer to the headquarters, though, the next member you manage to find is none other than Azuma. If anyone would know, you have to admit, it’s him.

He’s also the person you’d least like to ask.

He was the one who worked most closely with you, after your father. He was really the only other member of the Shomonkai allowed to. You were kept so separate from everyone most of the time. You never did get to see his reaction to the news of your excommunication.

Naoya says, startling you out of your thoughts, “We can find someone else, if doesn’t have to be this guy.”

It takes a moment, but you collect yourself and shake your head.  This is not about your or your fears. This is about helping Midori and her friends. “It’s fine. He’d know more than nearly anyone. It’s worth trying.”

When your group approached him, he looks at you, and you alone.

“I hear you’ve been asking about my guest,” he says, his voice no different than it was years ago.

Naoya starts, and tries to jump on the admission. “Then you do admit that Aya-”

“Admit what?” Azama says, only giving him a brief glance, “That woman came to us willingly, as a guest, several times.” He stands straight and tall, his expression unchanging, and turns his eyes back to you. “There is no crime in that.”

You match him, posture for posture, stare for stare. “Then you claim no knowledge of where she is now?”

“That may be a bit of an overstatement. But regardless, I have no knowledge for those outside of the Shomonkai.” Of course, that’s more the kind of response you expected. It’s what he says next that really catches you by surprise. “If you were to return to us, then that would be another story.”

You blink. “What?”

Azuma looks briefly behind you at your friends, and says, “Lady Amane, may we speak privately? I’d like to be direct about this matter.” 

Naoya starts to step in front of you, “Do you seriously think-”

You hold out an arm, keeping him back. “It’s alright, Naoya,” you say, catching his eye, before turning back to Azuma, “Very well, if it would make you feel more at ease.”

He nods, leading you into the entryway of the headquarters. The walls are glass at least, your friends can still see you from here. That’s some relief, anyway. When Azuma speaks, he fails to conceal a trace of eagerness in his voice, “Lady Amane,  _ you  _ are the true heir to our Founder’s ideals. When His Majesty ascends, he will need a priestess worthy of him.” He looks over his shoulder briefly, towards the main building. There’s no sign of anyone else yet. “Lady Yuzu does what she can. I have nothing but respect for her. But she is crumbling. She was not ready to take on this task, and I do not believe that she can see it through to the end.”

Your pulse quickens, and you ask, simply, “Is she alright?” You don’t quite trust yourself to remain impassive if you say any more.

“For the moment... but she simply did not have enough time to prepare for her duty. She cannot contain His Majesty’s servants. It will certainly destroy her, if allowed to continue.” A small smile finally cracks his steady expression. “But you are another matter. Do you think I cannot tell? Even now, you have not forgotten your training - you speak and move with the composure and control required of our maiden.” Hearing that, you refuse to move, or speak, but even this seems to please him, and you only feel yourself growing more still under his watch. Finally, he says, “I understand the Founder may be reluctant to trust you again, but I’m willing to speak to him on your behalf. I’m certain he will see the reason in it, if you come honestly.”

You remain silent, trying to process all of this. Not in your wildest dreams would you have expected such a proposal from your father’s closest aide... either Azuma felt more loyalty to you than you realized, or things really are as desperate for Yuzu as he claims.

“I... cannot agree to that,” you say, at last, “Not without knowing what happened to Aya. Her disappearance is simply too suspicious, and if the Shomonkai was responsible, I cannot condone it.”

Azuma looks at you, concealing how eager he is more and more poorly. “Then, if I told you everything, you would agree to rejoin?”

“I would.” If your ‘training’, as he puts it, was good for anything, you hope it’s good enough for this lie to pass.

He hesitates. You do not flinch. Eventually, he says, slow and thoughtful, “If you’re this serious, I expect my word alone will not be enough... I’ll need time to bring together some evidence to share with you. Come back and meet me here tomorrow, after noon. The Founder will be in the park, and I’ll have everything necessary to convince you.”

You nod, and he turns and goes back into the main building. When you get back out onto the street, you’re nearly swarmed by your friends. 

“Amane-” Naoya starts to say, but you cut him off with a sigh.

“He’s promised to tell us everything tomorrow.” You manage to smile, though it feels tired even to you. “It’s alright. We’ll let Keisuke know, and then get the truth from Azuma together.”

“...Are you sure you’re alright?”

You nod. “It was just unexpected. Don’t worry, I’ve no intention of returning now.” You pause. “Whatever Azuma may say, I don’t think my father would agree with the decision at all.”

“C’mon, what kind of answer is that?” Loki pouts, suddenly draping himself over you. “You should say, ‘don’t worry, I’d  _ never  _ leave my wonderful, irreplaceable friends to re-join some cult that threw me out like garbage.’”

Despite how unsettled you still feel, he gets a hum of amusement out of you. “Wonderful and irreplaceable, are you?”

He grins, tightening his grip on you a little. “You disagreeing?”

“I suppose not.”


	26. Day 4, part 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all very much for the continued support! If you have any feedback you'd like to add, or even if you just wish you could give an extra kudos, please feel free to leave a comment! I always appreciate them.

As Pazuzu’s wind dissipates, all traces of the last remaining demon go with it. Your new partner doesn’t boast, but even the way he stands emanates pride. You don’t mind - he’s definitely been as good an ally as he promised. You didn’t even need Honda with you to finish off the job. And the job  _ is  _ finished; your entire territory is clear of demons. Some of them turned tail the second they saw Pazuzu at your side, and those who stayed quickly found themselves outmatched. You take a moment to just listen, but the only sound you hear is familiar footsteps as Honda comes to rejoin you.

“ _ Now, my master, we can begin expanding _ ,” Pazuzu finally says. It doesn’t take you long to consider the proposal before you nod. Being too ambitious can be dangerous, but you simply don’t have enough supplies right now. And the Daemons are getting restless, despite their fear. They won’t keep listening to your orders to stay put if they think they’ve become caged in. 

You sigh. They just... don’t understand the scale of the problem. You haven’t seen any sign of Beldr since yesterday, but that only means you’ve been lucky. If you could run into those kids, you’d like to ask them if they’ve seen anything themselves, but you’re not optimistic. You could see those zeroes over their heads yesterday plainly enough, and what Tadashi said this morning didn’t leave you feeling any better about their odds.

...Ah, that reminds you. You told him you’d find Gin for him, didn’t you? You rub at your forehead, where a dull throbbing’s begun just from thinking about that. How would you start...?

“ _ We can’t afford to lose focus now, _ ” Pazuzu says, “ _ The Bels will be coming soon. You will not be able to stand against them in your current state. _ ”

“I know,” you say, “I know. I haven’t forgotten.” Maybe, now that you’ve gotten the area cleared, you can ask some of the Daemons to find him and bring him here. Assuming he’s still alive to bring.

“My apologies for stepping away,” Honda says, finally close enough to greet you, “You seemed to have things under control, and I-”

“Had to make a call?” You drop your eyes to his jacket, where you know a pocket lines the inside. He flinches a little and you can see him starting to get defensive, but you simply wave a hand. “I don’t mind you having your own affairs to take care of. But I don’t like not knowing what I’m dealing with.”

It’s a long, cautious moment that sits between you two as you hold his gaze. But eventually, he says, “Well, shall we swap secrets then?”

Before you can answer, Pazuzu leans closer to you. “ _ Remember, you do not  _ need  _ another partner, master, _ ” he whispers, blinking at Honda slowly, “ _ There is no need to obey any demands of this one. _ ”

You glance at him out of the corner of your eye, and keep yourself from frowning. A powerful demon he may be, but you’re not about to abandon someone who’s been helping you from the start over one question.  “I appreciate the advice, but it’s not an outrageous request,” you say, looking back to Honda, “Depending on what you want to know, of course.”

Some of the tension starts to go out of him, and he even manages to sound conversational when he speaks next. “I’ll admit I’m curious - how did a young woman like you wind up in charge of a gang?”

You chuckle a bit, turning to walk as you speak. If you’re going to start moving outward, you want to check the rest of perimeter to see what the best direction would be. No reason you can’t multitask. “Is that really what you want to know in exchange? It’s not all that interesting, I’m afraid.” 

“I disagree,” he says, following after you. “What could be more fundamental to understanding one another, then sharing where we’ve come from?”

Hm. You can understand where he’s coming from with that, you guess. And you doubt he’ll tell you anything with meat to it if you don’t do the same. Best to try the waters first - see how much he’s really expecting. “It’s a pretty common story,” you shrug, “I grew up in a neighborhood filled with them - joining one myself seemed like the best option when I was old enough.”

“Even so-” He finally catches up enough to walk at your side, “You have plenty of drive and foresight. I’d have thought someone like you would be able to find other opportunities for yourself.”

You snort. You can’t help it. “Maybe. But none of them seemed as important.” Briefly, you look up at him to check for a hint of disapproval. When you don’t find any, you decide a few more details should be alright. “ You know about Tadashi - he and his older brother were my closest friends growing up. His brother was... very idealistic, in his way.” You almost start to smile, thinking about how he used to sit up at night with you, telling you about his plans. All the times you’d slip away together when you came home to a locked door, and turned the old feeling of being lost into something hopeful. Almost. “So when he decided that he wanted to try and change how things were done on the streets, I decided to support him.”

And, you had both agreed, it was better to give Tadashi a chance to make something of himself legitimately. Hisashi had tried to argue you could do the same once or twice, but you’d known better from the start. He couldn’t start the kind of group he wanted on his own. And you couldn’t give him the help he needed if your time and attention was split.

Besides... your parents had been quite clear. If you didn’t graduate high school, you would no longer be part of the family. How could you pass up that kind of opportunity? 

There’s a long silence between you two then. You don’t offer anything else. Finally, he asks what you expected from the start. “And Tadashi’s brother...”

“Died. About six months ago.” Even to your own ears, your tone is too short to be convincingly casual. 

You wait for him to probe for further details, mentally cataloguing what you’re willing to share and what you’re not. Instead, he simply says, softly, “I’m sorry for your loss.” He slows to a stop. When you look back at him, you’re almost stunned by how plainly his own grief is showing. “I lost my wife a few years ago. Even now, I barely remember how I got through the first few months.” With a sigh, he shakes his head. “Honestly, I’m impressed that you’re still capable of handling so much on your own.”

The plain, openness of the statement catches you completely off-guard. Especially since it’s hard to think of anything you’ve done as really worth  _ admiring _ ; it was just what you had to do. It still is.

“Well... it seems likely by now that he was killed by a demon. You can say I’m just getting revenge by fighting them like this,” you say, “It’s a good motivation.” It comes out a little more dismissive than you meant. You try to soften it. “I’m sorry to hear about your wife.” And, because there’s no one else around to hear you, you ask, “Does it... has it gotten any easier?”

The smile he gives you is hard, but seems more sincere because of it. “Some days are better than others. It’s mostly thanks to my son that I’ve been able to get this far.” And then, with only a slight trace of hesitation, he pulls a radio out of his pocket. “...That’s what this is about, really. He’s going to be having surgery soon. I work for a tech company. My boss ordered my to come here and bring back a COMP in exchange for his hospital bills being covered.”

You take it from his offered hand. No matter how you look at it, it seems like a normal radio. “Has it worked?”

He shakes his head. “It’s as useless as the phones are. No getting in or out.” With a sigh, he rubs the back of his neck, looking past you, towards the barricades. “My son might even already be in surgery right now... I’d have no way of knowing how he’s doing.”

...Well, you can’t blame him for being distracted with that over his head. At least with Tadashi in here, you can keep an eye on him. You give Honda a firm pat on the shoulder. “Try not to let yourself get too distracted,” you say, handing the radio back to him, “You’ll never find out if you die in here.”

“I know.” He pockets it, and gives you a small smile. “Don’t worry, I’ve no intention of dying,  _ or _ of letting my partner suffer for my carelessness.”

You snort a small laugh, and offer him a smile in return. “Then sounds like we’re still of a like mind.” Half on a whim, you offer a hand. “No getting ourselves or each other killed. Sound like a deal?”

He looks more than a little amused, but he takes it. “Deal.”

Another silence falls between you two, but it feels comfortable this time. How long has it been... since you talked about Hisashi directly? You try to remember, but the Daemons aren’t an option. They’re important to you, they’re one of the few things he left behind, but you are their leader now and there are some things you can’t do without losing authority.  And Tadashi... you haven’t been able to in months. And now, you can’t go dredging everything back up for him when he’s working so hard to move on. He has other people to talk about his brother with, you know. It’d be selfish, trying to put him in a position to comfort  _ you  _ about it.

“Mari-” Honda says, stopping a few steps in front of you, “Do you hear that?”

You blink, startled out of your thoughts at the question. But you do hear something, once you stop to listen. It’s weak, and the voice hoarse, but you can still recognize your name as what’s being called. 

The world narrows to that sound. You see nothing, hear nothing, but the voice calling your name, until you find Satoru, crawling on the ground, just barely recognizable through his burns.

Even when you’re in front of him, he still calls, “M-Mari... Mari...” You don’t know if he can even see you.

“It’s okay,” you say, dropping to your knees and pulling him up against you and seeing the gash on his neck, “Everything’s fine. I’ve got you.” You turn to bark at Honda, “Hurry! You’ve got healing spells,  _ use  _ them.”

“I-it was just a kid,” he’s babbling, blood spilling out of his mouth, as Honda kneels next to him and puts a hand against his chest, “Just some s-stupid kid but... h-he had a monster with him... a demon, all r-red, long robes-”

“Keep talking,” you say, “Stay focused on me. Everything’s going to be fine.” There’s a glow around Honda’s hand, but the burns aren’t fading, and the wound isn’t closing. His voice gets weaker and you can feel him starting to convulse.

“He got Eiji... Rin... I- I couldn’t...”

It’s not working. Nothing Honda does is working. The wounds just aren’t closing fast enough, and the blood keeps hemorrhaging out. It’s soaking into your clothes, you can feel it on your skin. He grasps at you with his hand, and when you take it, he gives another shudder. “S-sorry... Mari... couldn’t...” And then he stops moving at all. 

His eyes keep staring up at you, but they lose focus. You hold onto him. Tighter, like you can keep him there with your hands alone. “Honda...” you say, voice cracking despite yourself, “Is there  _ anything _ -”

“I’m sorry.”

You sit there, and watch the zero over Satoru’s head disappear.

The body disappears with it. Like all victims of demons. No matter how tight you hold.

“ _ If we had gotten here sooner, _ ” Pazuzu says, “ _ Perhaps it might not have been too late. _ ”

Slowly, arms empty again, you turn to look up at him.

As if speaking to a child, the demon says, “ _ He could not have gotten far in this state, master. Whoever murdered him must have done so close by. We may even have prevented the attack altogether. _ ” 

“Neither of us could have known,” Honda says, trying to make you look at him. “Mari, this isn’t you fault.”

“...You’re right,” you say simply, pushing yourself back up to stand.  “It’s the fault of whoever attacked him.”

And yet. Pazuzu is still right. You’d just been standing around chatting while your men were slaughtered. Wasting time. You should have known better now. There’s no room here to waste anything. If you’d been faster - if you’d just been a little faster, you could have saved him. You could have fought with him. You could have-

“ _ Master _ ,” Pazuzu says, “ _ We must act quickly. We may still find the perpetrator. _ ”

You look up the street. There’s no sign of a fight - all traces are gone. Eiji and Rin too, if Satoru was right. No bodies to even take back with you this time. Very quietly, you say, “I need to tell the Daemons about this first. They should know.” And get a chance to see what they’ll be up against if they go out. What they’re risking if you can’t eliminate the threat. You look back at Honda, and as calmly as you can, tell him, “I’d like to do this alone. I’ll meet up with you later. Stay safe.”

He looks at you uncertainly, but agrees. Pazuzu’s wind picks up around you. You don’t care what your men say. After this, you won’t let a single one out of here. Not until you take care of the threat. Every threat. For them.


	27. Day 4, part 8

“Thank you so much - don’t worry, I’ll be prepared for the meeting,” Keisuke says once you've caught him up, smiling with more relief than you really think is called for. “I’ve got a few pocket recorders at home. If we use those to get their whole confession, we can turn it over to the authorities.”

It’s probably too late to question this plan now. But you do anyway. “What do you actually think anyone’s gonna  _ do _ , even if you have a confession handy?”

He sighs, but at least seems more resigned than offended. “Well... it depends on what we learn, mostly. If Aya’s in the lockdown, then even if the SDF won’t do anything, I can still try to find her. If she isn’t, then there’s a chance they might pass the information along to the outside to help her.” There’s a bitterness in his expression when he smiles. “I’ll admit, it’s a long shot that anyone in a position to help will do anything while the lockdown is going on. But I have to at least try to do things the right way first.” Then, with some amusement, “And if the government doesn’t act, despite the evidence, then Ms. Shoji will have all the more dirt to throw at them when this is over.”

He’s thought this through more than you expected. You’re almost a little envious at how sure he is that he’ll figure out the right thing to do. You’ve only been feeling more and more cornered as the day’s passed and you’ve had time to think about Yuzu’s offer.

It’s not that you’re more accepting what she said. The opposite. There  _ has  _ to be some other way out of here. You can’t buy that the one and only option you have is to... what, become some kind of demon, just to chain yourself to a group you know nothing about? Especially one who shows no signs of having anyone’s interests in mind other than it’s own, if they really are only willing to help as long as you join them. Just thinking about it makes your skin crawl. You can’t even imagine living like that.

But that, though... you glance over at Amane. That way of thinking might just... be you being selfish. You know you are. You’re not the kind of person who’s capable of caring about everyone. That alone should really be enough proof that you’d be a lousy ‘messiah’ anyway.

‘ _ Whatever your faults, they can be unlearned. We can teach you. _ ’

You try to shove that thought aside. No way, not happening. And besides. It  _ is _ obvious enough Kazuya has some kind of alternative planned. Whatever it actually is doesn’t matter much to you right now. It’s more important to know that there  _ is _ more than one option, and if Yuzu’s trying to convince you otherwise, it’s because she either doesn’t know one, or she’s lying to you. You just can’t trust her on that subject.

And you do, of course, remember Amane’s suggestion, about finding the server and hacking into it to change the COMPs programming.

That plan, though, now has a large, Bel-shaped hole in it.

Loki rests his chin on your shoulder, startling you back to the conversation. You catch him looking at you with something like concern, and give him a quick half-smile that you hope seems less stiff than it feels. Meanwhile, Amane asks, “Miss Shoji claimed to have a lot she planned to look into. Did she mention if anything panned out?”

He hesitates. “I’m afraid I only know a little. You’d have to ask her for the details. But... there is something strange that she told me about.” He pushes his glasses up, and asks, “Have any of you seen angels in the lockdown?”

“Angels?” Haru tilts her head and looks back at you. “You guys had a couple in the Compendium, right?”

“No, I mean, acting on their own.” You open your mouth to say ‘of course’, but once you actually think about it... you realize you can’t remember having seen any that a tamer wasn’t using. In fact, has anyone outside your own group? As no one answers in the affirmative, Keisuke continues with, “Well, Miss Shoji claims to have seen some talking with the SDF.”

“...Some of the demons can look pretty human,” you ask, while simultaneously wondering why you’re pressing the point, “How would she even know for certain?”

Keisuke shrugs. “She said they felt different. But like I said, I wasn’t there. I’m afraid I don’t know any more.”

“Well, thank you for letting us know,” Amane says, “We’ll see you tomorrow, for the Shomonkai.”

He nods, and starts heading back towards his apartment. You shrug Loki off and start walking in the opposite direction, for no reason other than wanting a little more distance. Loki follows after you, undaunted.

“Angels...” he says, tilting his head back to look up at the sky, like they could swoop down any second, “I mean, it’d make sense if they were involved, wouldn’t it? You don’t get much more ‘tale as old as time’y than angels versus demons.”

“I guess, but why are they getting involved  _ now _ ?” You feel. Agitated, you guess. You want to keep moving. “Those bloodless murders have been going on for six months, and Midori’s been using that synthesizer to summon demons for a while too. And I find it really hard to believe those are the first and only times demons have ever been summoned successfully.”

“Maybe it’s the lockdown they’re worried about?” Haru asks, but doesn’t sound very sure of it herself.

“That makes even less sense! What makes  _ this  _ problem special?” You adjust your bag strap. You wish you had something more you could do with your hands. “People die horribly every day, with or without demons. You don’t see them getting divine intervention.”

“...Maybe it’s because of the War of Bel,” Amane says. Your steps pause. “That may be a threat large enough to warrant their attention.”

That.... does make sense. Your mouth tightens despite yourself. Figures the biggest problem you keep hitting when trying to think of something else you could do would be enough to get the supposed ‘servants of God’ involved. 

After all, Beldr wasn’t summoned by a COMP, and you have to assume the others won’t be either. The war won’t end until there’s a winner - Yuzu and Kazuya’s friend both made that pretty clear - and now you’re part of that. So either you defeat them all, or one of them kills you. Even if you manage to get rid of all the other demons and all the other COMPs somehow, the Bels will likely still appear to come after you. 

It’s not enough to just end the lockdown if you’re gonna get murdered by another Beldr a few days afterwards. Maybe if you could just keep your own COMP, and one for Amane and Loki... is what you would have tried, if  _ angels  _ of all things weren’t possibly running security. Could you even sneak something like that past them if you tried?

“They’re angels, though, right? They’re supposed to work for God, when you get down to it,” Haru says, “Can a demon even be a threat to God?”

Amane shrugs a little, considering carefully. “My father was a proponent of belief as a source of power to supernatural beings. Those who believe in God contribute to its strength - and we’ve already seen cults being created around the Bel demons.”

Despite yourself, you feel exhaustion wearing down at you. So even if you managed to win this dumb war, you’ll have to fight off who knows how many angels too? The whittling down of your possible exits makes you want to bash your head into a wall. Kazuya’s explanation better be  _ fantastic _ .  

You shake your head, and try to focus again. All that’s just... you can worry about it later. You have to. It feels like it’ll suffocate you if you let it. “Look, we don’t even know if Shoji saw them right. Let’s focus on what we know right now. We can always ask her more about them if we run into her again.”

“Aww, c’mon, Naoya. If they’re talking to the SDF, then we might be able to see on right now!” Loki says, eyes sparkling. “Besides, we don’t know when we’ll run into Shoji again. We should at least take a look for ourselves!”

You feel your exhaustion turning into temper, but seeing the three of them looking perfectly fine with the suggestion, you swallow it down. Just... relax. Breath.

Besides, since you still don’t have a real plan to go after Gin, the only other concrete thing you could do right now is work on whatever Kazuya’s friend left on your laptop. And maybe it’s petty of you to keep putting that off, but. You don’t know if you can trust the guy.  He did save you, of course, and he is working with Kazuya. But after all the times you’ve seen demons come to people on the breaking point, you can’t deny that a lonely kid who’s parents died suddenly would have made a good mark. And you know  _ seeming  _ friendly isn’t worth shit.

...Which of course, could apply to your cousin just as easily. Maybe even more so.

...

Better to go with the lesser of two headaches right now. Letting out a long sigh, you agree, “Alright, fine, we can at least swing by the barricade.”

 

* * *

There’s fewer crowds than you expected at the borders. Every now and then, a person take a few cautious steps towards it, but having a gun pointed at them discourages them quickly. There’s a couple of dark stains on the pavement, though. You try to move quickly, scanning the background for anything feathered and glowing. You’d rather not stick around long enough to see someone else decide escape is worth the risk.

Almost as soon as you think that, a trio of people come screaming towards the soldiers. One fires at their feet to keep them back, but they just keep babbling and begging. “Please,” you manages to overhear, “We were attacked, some crazy tamer and their demon, you gotta stop them-”

Naturally, the soldiers just yell at them to stay back and make threats. But it sounds enough like Gin that you, at least, ask where the tamer is. The people are grateful enough to point you right in his direction.  _ Finally _ , you managed to catch a goddamn break. You know you shouldn’t be thinking of Loki’s friend having some kind of violent breakdown as a nuisance, but with everything else you have to worry about... you do. You really do. Not that you’re going to say anything about it, of course.

It takes a few seconds, when you finally catch sight of the ‘crazy tamer’ to realize it’s not Gin. It’s Mari, with a man pinned against a wall between her and her flanking demons.

“I know you have a COMP,” she says, calmly, “I’m telling you to give it to me. I need to know what’s in your Compendium.” 

“N-No, I need this! Stay away from me-” he tries to shove her away, but for all she’s tiny, she’s completely immovable. She slams a fist next to his head, shattering the brick like it’s no more than glass.

“You don’t have anything to worry about if it’s not in there.” Her voice drops to practically a purr. “But if it is, you and I have business.”

“Please, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Mari, what are you doing?” Amane finally asks, clearly alarmed. It startles Mari enough to give the man an opportunity to slip away from her. But Pazuzu appears then, cutting off his escape route and grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground.

“Thank you,” Mari says, walking over with no sign of rush or concern, “Hold him there for me.”

Okay, this seems like a good time to intervene. But Pazuzu knocks you all back with a few strongs flap of its wings, the vicious winds it kicks up making it impossible to go against. Dammit, you should have got your COMPs out before saying anything... 

Mari takes something out of the man’s pocket, and you manage to catch her flipping through his COMP. After a few seconds, she throws it back at him and Pazuzu lets him drop. The winds die down.  “Alright, you can go. But next time, be more careful before deciding to jump a member of the Daemons.”

The man coughs and blubbers incoherently before scrambling to his feet and bolting.

Mari shows little sign of even noticing him, and instead just looks at all of you. “I’m glad to see you’ve all survived. Most of you anyway.” She scans the group. “Wasn’t Gin with you last time?”

“Eh, we had a bit of a fight, I’m sorry to say. Haven’t been able to get back in touch with him since,” Loki says easily enough.

If she notices the glib layer over the excuse, she doesn’t say anything. “Well, good luck to you. Sorry I can’t talk, but I have to get going.”

“What were you doing? Why was it so important to look into that man’s COMP?”

“I’m look for a demon and tamer,” she says, both eyes and voice still flat and unperturbed. “Someone’s been going around murdering members of my gang. I have to find him and take him out before anyone else gets killed.”

...You really hope this isn’t going to go how you think it is.

But because you like disappointing yourself, you say, “Seems like you know what kind of demon you’re looking for? Maybe we could help you find it.”

“All I know is, it has red skin and wears long robes.” She hesitates, and then almost spits out. “Uses fire, too.”

...Of course.

Fuck.

“Huh. Sorry, doesn’t sound familiar,” Loki says, with a sigh, “But we’ll keep an eye out!”

Mari doesn’t even bother with a real good-bye. She just nods and keeps moving. As soon as she and her demon are out of sight and - hopefully - ear shot, Loki collapses against your shoulder with a drawn-out grown. “Goddammit Gin...”

Haru’s voice shakes as she asks, “Then we weren’t quick enough... he’s already killed people? Like, for real?”

“That’s a tragedy, but we need to focus on what we can still do. And we  _ can _ prevent more deaths ,if we find him,” Amane says.

Not very reassured, Haru shakes her head. “But we  _ still _ don’t know where he is.”

“Kaido might, though!” Loki says, perking up a little at his own idea, “Maybe not a specific place, but he at least might have a better idea where he’d hang around. Or - who knows? He might even come back to Kaido’s apartment tonight to sleep.”

Haru raises an eyebrow at him. “You think...?”

He shrugs. “It’s at least as likely as us randomly stumbling across him while we walk around.”

It’s a better idea than you’ve got, which is nothing. And Loki seems all set leading the charge. But you catch Amane’s eye as you follow him, and kinda wish it were just the three of you right now. There’s no real way to pull him aside covertly like this, and you doubt he’ll admit how this is hitting him in front of Haru.

 

* * *

 

As it turns out, you wind up getting hit pretty hard by something yourself. 

Kaido, to be exact.

Just as you’ve reached a desolate section of the park, the older man bursts from some bushes and manages to knock you right over onto the ground. He pauses in his rush to look at you, the grim panic on his face killing any complaint you were going to make. “Humans, you have to flee,  _ now _ ,” he says, in a voice that’s too deep, before shoving you behind a tree and making a break for the stairs up to a picnic area.

You’re about to protest, but before you can even get up, Haru pulls Amane and Loki down next to you too. “Shh, you heard him,” she says, “Stay down.”

A strain of laughter rips through the air, as if out of nothing at all.

“ _ Kresnik! Lovely Kresnik, why are you running from me? I thought you wanted to find me~ _ ”

You stay crouched and try to find the source of the sound. It’s a demon, there’s no question about that. You can feel it. It doesn’t  _ feel  _ like a Bel - there’s no overwhelming sense of power like Beldr had - but there is still something strange about it. In fact, it barely gives off any sensation at all. There’s just a dirty, stale scent hanging in the air. You glance at your friends, and wonder if anyone else can tell.

“Kudlak, you- gh!” The strangled cry is audible even from your hiding position, and you put off any thoughts of asking.

“C’mon, we gotta help him,” you say, to which Amane nods and follows you out of the hiding spot. 

In a flash, demons start appearing around you. More of that shrill cackle rings out, like a drill into your ear, and you see the wizened demon floating halfway between you and Kaido. “ _ I thought I heard something~ How wonderful, an audience for our final dance, Kresnik! _ ” It spun backwards to look at Kaido, cape billowing around it. “ _ Or perhaps they’ll join you instead! It’s always so interesting to see how these things turn out. _ ”

“You- no, you have to run! You can’t fight Kudlak!” Kaido calls out from where he’s trapped at the top of the stairs - and he  _ is  _ trapped, there’s at least six more demons beyond him, keeping him pinned between them and the floating demon.

You catch your friends’ eyes as your COMPs start up and your own demons appear. No fighting the one in the cape. Okay, then- “Loki, switch places with him. We can guard him until we there’s an opening to make a break for it.”

He gives you a mock salute and vanishes with Hanuman. In a flash, Kaido appears in his place, stumbling a bit. His leg is hurt. You step towards him while Amane and Haru take a more defensive position. “Here, let me-”

“It is alright, save your strength,” he says, in that weirdly deep voice. He puts a hand to his own leg, and the wound vanishes. “Thank you for your help, I am indebted to you.”

You narrow your eyes at him, and just say, “Save the thanks for after you explain.” Something’s going on, and after what you saw happen to Gin, you’re not letting this guy out of your sight until you know what it is. 

At least, since your goal is escape more than anything, it winds up being more of a skirmish than a real fight. Loki keeps Kudlak constricted with his Quetzalcoatl well enough to get time to maneuver around him. At that point, it’s a matter of making sure any pursuers are dealt with quickly while you retreat. By the time you get a few blocks away, the rest of the demons have given up on trying to tail you. Even Kudlak hasn’t reappeared at all. 

With the crisis averted, you keep your demons firmly at your sides and ask, “Alright. Who are you, and what happened to Kaido?”

He blinks slowly, then clears his throat and gives a polite bow. “My apologies for not explaining sooner - I am the demon, Kresnik.”

Haru nearly shoves you aside to grab at his coat. “You get out of him!” She says, through gritted teeth, “How dare you- you can’t just  _ possess  _ him like that!”

“Haru, wait, it’s okay,” Kaido says, in his own voice, and with a somewhat flustered expression. “We agreed on this, it isn’t a big deal.” Then something in his eyes shifts again, his voice turning deep again, and more than a little amused. “Well. I disagree with you on that. It was very courageous of you to accept my offer, you know. Not just anyone would.”

“Huh?” Her outrage gives in to confusion, as she slowly lets go of his coat. “Then... so, what’s going on here?”

He straightens up, clasping his hands behind his back. “As I was saying - my name is Kresnik. I am a demon charged with the responsibility of hunting down the vampire Kudlak. He has been roaming the human world for several months now, but I have only just been able to follow him here a short time ago. Kaido was searching for Kudlak too - his earnest wish made forming a contract quite easy.”

Amane steps forward now, peering at him closely. “But why do you need to use his body like that? We’ve seen demons form contracts with people before, but never like this.”

“Kudlak cannot sense me when I’m hidden inside a human, but I can still sense him,” Kaido- or Kresnik, you guess - says, gesturing to himself. “I would have been able to defeat him swiftly, had I not made a small error in judgement.” He winces, and this time Kaido’s voice says, “Yeah, sorry... I should’ve been more careful. It was stupid of me.” Then he shakes his head. “No, if there is blame, then we share it. In which case there is no point it laying it anywhere. We simply need to fix it.”

...Watching this is giving you a headache. Amane, seemingly unfazed and accepting of the explanation, just asks, “What do you need to fix? Is it anything we can help with?”

“Kudlak can only be killed by me, with the aid of white amnion. I had a bottle, but we ran into a thief that made off with it.” Kaido grimaces and mutters out of the side of his mouth, “Should’ve known better than to leave it in a first-aid kit. Of course someone’d try to get their hands on one of those.” He blinks and the straight-face is back. “Whatever it was, we were trying to locate the man again when Kudlak found us, and... you saw how we ended up.”

“You said you can sense Kudlak, correct?” Amane says, “You should focus on staying away from him right now. We’ll find the amnion for you.”

“Yeah? You don’t mind?”

“After the help you’ve given us? We owe you at least, like, five more scavengers hunts like this to pay you back.” Loki says with a grin.

“That’s right,” Haru says, expression serious enough it borders on grim, “You focus on staying alive, okay? We’ll find it.”

Finally, the zero over his head changes into a one. You hold back a sigh of relief, and instead nod in agreement. “Where’d you last have it? We’ll start there.”

“Thank you very much, humans. I truly cannot repay you for your help,” Kresnik bows. “We were around the... my partner calls it ‘the Bugeikan’.”

“Got it. Then, you stay away from Kudlak, and meet us here first thing tomorrow. We’ll make sure we’ve got it for you.”

“Oh, one more thing...” Kresnik says, before shifting to a very worried looking expression and Kaido’s voice, “I’m really relieved to see you’re okay Haru, but... where’s Gin? Why isn’t he with you?”

Loki, at least, knows how to talk no matter how awkward things get. “Ahh, we had a little fight... we were looking for him right before we ran into you, actually, to try and get him to calm down.”

“I see... I’ll keep my eye out for him too, then, while we’re hiding.” Kaido rubs the back of his head, “I know he’s got kind of a temper, but... try to make sure he doesn’t get into trouble, if you can.”

You do your absolute best to keep your face neutral, while Loki grins and says, “‘Course!” 

“And... if you see Mari... don’t tell her about this.”

“...Why not?”

“She’s in enough danger already. I don’t want her to spread herself any thinner,” he says, shaking his head. “The two of us can handle this ourselves.”

You bite back a remark of ‘obviously you can’t if you’re just running around and hiding’. That’s not the point. You make a noise that you hope will count as agreement. Seems to, as he doesn’t push for any more clarification before waving and heading to off to inspect some buildings for possible hiding spots. 

As you all head towards the Bugeikan, you take a moment to put your hands over your face and groan. “How. Is this all happening?”

Amane turns back to you and asks, “What do you mean?”

“All of this. Angels. Murders. Gin and Mari both running around with overpowered demons. Kaido running around  _ possessed  _ by a demon. And we’ve gotta keep them all from running into each other?” You manage to resist - valiantly, in your opinion - the urge to just lay down on the ground and stay there for at least a couple of hours. “ _ And _ there’s the Shomonkai tomorrow. And Belial the day after that.”

And you have to keep the big picture in mind, and not lose sight of finding an exit, but you  _ can’t _ . You can’t... think like this. When there’s constantly new things popping up that need attention, and more people to think about, and problems you don’t really want to care about but don’t have much choice because they’re  _ there  _ and you can’t ignore them. You can’t ignore  _ any  _ of it, and it’s not leaving you room to breathe.

“Hey. Hear me out.” Loki says, tugging one of your hands away from your face. “What if we didn’t keep them from running into each other?”

“What.”

“No, seriously! We want to find Gin before Mari does, right? And, c’mon, Kaido needs all the help he can get. So! Let’s tell Mari what’s going on with him, and she’ll definitely be too distracted helping him to murder Gin!”

“...And,” you say, the pieces starting to fall into place at last, “If we help Kaido get through this safely, he might be able to help us talk some sense into Gin afterwards.”

“Exactly!” Loki beams. “A classic two birds with one stone.”

“I agree - it’s likely our best shot,” Amane says, starting to smile herself, “And Mari may be more willing to let us handle stopping Gin, if Kaido’s the one to speak to her about it.”

Well, you can hope, at least. But even with Kaido, you have to wonder if anyone can change Mari’s mind on anything. 

...No, she’s right. You have to at least try. You shake your head and brush some hair out of your face. “Okay. It’s a plan. But in that case,” you say, looking over at Amane, “After we find the amnion, I want to see what Kazuya’s friend put on my laptop. Is that okay?”

She seems a little surprised at you asking. “Of course. We already agreed to meet up with Kaido tomorrow - you’ll have all the time you need tonight.”

Okay... okay.

You take another breath, and agree to keep heading for the Bugeikan right now. Whatever kind of relationship Kazuya has with his demon - and whatever kind you may hope they have - you can’t just ignore possible evidence. You’re only going to be able to find answers once you have all the pieces. Right now, it’s impossible to know for sure what you’ll do in three days, or what you’re even  _ capable _ of doing. But you’ve still got time. You can learn as much as you can. That’ll just have to be enough.


	28. Day 4 - Interlude 1

The sun’s just barely started to set by the time you reach your apartment. It looks untouched, and when you try the doorknob, it’s still safely locked. You let out a small sigh of relief as you get your key out. Those kids said Midori was fine when they last saw her, but you couldn’t help but worry. Though at this point, you’re pretty sure you’re not  _ capable  _ of doing much else.

“Sorry I took so long,” you say preemptively as you open the door, certain she’s going to pounce on you the second you give an opening, “But I’ve gotten everything taken care of for today, so I won’t have to go out again.”

“It’s fine,” she says, still sitting on the couch and not looking at you. You wince. Really, you shouldn’t have just left her alone for so long... but you thought Frosty would be enough company to at least keep her from being lonely. Still, you eye the two over her head with consideration. She should be alright tomorrow. Maybe you could introduce her to Shoji, try and get her out of the apartment for a while? Though you don’t know how she’d react to Frosty. That reporter’s a bit hard to pin down.

...Speaking of the Jack Frost. You look around your apartment, almost expecting a surprise attack prank. “Where’s your friend?” She doesn’t answer, just hunches her shoulders and looks down. Alarmed, you quickly move over in front of her, to talk more easily, “Midori, did something happen?”

“He left,” she says, bunching her skirt into her fists. “He didn’t even say anything. He just disappeared.” Oh. Oh, no. Her shoulders start to shake and she sniffles. “I don’t know if he’s okay, or if I’ll ever see him again, or even why he’s gone, or...” She trails off as her voice gets increasingly tight and choked with tears. 

You reach out, to pull her into a hug, some words of comfort already on your tongue, when her head whips up, and you can see she’s not just crying. She’s  _ furious _ .

“What’s going on with Aya?” She says, and all the words you were about to say stumble over one another upon exit. 

“It’s - I’m - what?”

“Aya. You know something about what happened to her, don’t you? That’s why you’ve been away all day and won’t tell me why.”

“That’s...” You can’t help it. Your eyes drop in the face of her anger, and you feel your mouth drying. “I don’t... know anything for sure.”

“But you do know  _ something _ .” The anger starts to drain out of her voice now, and a pleading tone takes it’s place. “Keisuke, please, she’s my friend too. You asked me to tell you everything, and I said I would. You can’t keep secrets from me about her. It isn’t  _ fair _ .”

If you’d had time to prepare for this, maybe you could have had an argument read. But being blindsided, what fumbles out of you is, “You don’t understand, it’s dangerous-”

“Everything’s dangerous right now!” She shouts, getting to her feet, “But we’ve always faced danger together, haven’t we? That’s why we were able to get this far. Whenever there were bullies, or the teachers wouldn’t be fair, we always,  _ always _ faced them together, the three of us!”

You flinch. She’s right, you wouldn’t ever argue that. Without Aya and Midori, you can’t imagine how you would’ve gotten through high school. Not without breaking. Maybe there’s no way to know for sure, but you know how you feel. And you’d been so close... even now, you can remember clearly the disbelief, the betrayal. Just bullying you could have taken, but if Aya hadn’t stepped in to help you when the victim you’d saved turned on you, you don’t know how you could have even kept going to school. 

She’d been the reason you could have faith in humanity after that. And Midori’s entrance to your school the next year, and her fervent belief in the value of heroism, re-inspired you. You’d probably never be able to regain the old strength you had in your own convictions, but you found other things to believe in, thanks to them.

But... even so. You can’t concede on this. You take a breath, try to get your thoughts in order, before saying, “This is still a completely different situation. Back then, if something went wrong, we maybe had to deal with a few bruises and trashed desks. This is a different level of danger. You could  _ die _ , Midori.”

“And so could you! That’s why it’s so important I’m there to help you-”

“ _ How _ ?” You say, your fear seeping out more than you meant it to, “You can’t fight the demons, and you almost got killed just today!” She winces, and drops her eyes a little. It does make you feel bad, but you can live with that. You can’t live with her getting killed because she followed you somewhere she shouldn’t have. “I’m lucky,” you try to explain, more gently, and pull out your COMP to show her, “I was able to find one of these a couple of days ago.” Right away, her eyes widen with recognition. “I  _ can _ fight off the demons when I have to. I can protect myself. But you can’t, and if I have to worry about protecting you and myself, it just makes it riskier.”

She has no comeback for that. Her shoulders droop, and she looks away from the device, a resigned acceptance starting to sink in. You wish you didn’t have to hammer the point in so thoroughly - but you don’t know if anything less would have convinced her.

“I am sorry I didn’t tell you about what I was doing,” you say, “Originally, I didn’t plan on getting involved in all this, and when I started, I didn’t want you to put yourself at risk over a few hunches I have. But... even if I do tell you, you have to leave it up to me to solve, okay?”

Her head shoots back up. “Then you will tell me?”

You don’t like how eager she sounds, but... she is right. You haven’t been fair to her. So you say, “Yes. If you promise to still focus on keeping yourself safe.”

She hesitates, longer than you feel comfortable with, but eventually nods. “Okay. I promise.”

So, you explain. About the Shomonkai, and Aya’s involvement, and that it has something to do with all the COMPs going around. You tell her you suspect that they know where she disappeared to, and that you’re going to find out for sure tomorrow. Her eyes get wider, and her face paler, and more and more distressed.

“Aya... she was involved in all of that?” Her voice is small when she finally does speak. “And she never said anything...”

She looks so upset, you expect another outburst and an insistence on going along anyway. You take her hands carefully, and try to cut at least some of her fears off at the pass. “Midori, I’m not going to do this alone, alright? You know Amane and Naoya and all of them - we’re doing this together. So you don’t have to worry about me.” You squeeze them in your own. “So  _ please _ . Just stay safe. That’s the most important thing you can do for me tomorrow.”

Her face is still looking kind of gray, and she won’t meet your eyes. But she nods again, and says quietly, “Don’t worry, I already said I would.” She pulls her hands out of your’s and starts over to the spare room. “I’m really tired,” she says, even though the sun’s just barely set, “I’m gonna go to bed, okay?”

It hurts, seeing her so subdued, but... what choice did you have? She’s so passionate and believes so strongly in things working out for the best, no matter what the odds. If you’d given any kind of opening, you’re sure she’d have insisted on coming with you tomorrow. As you hear the door click closed, you let out a soft sigh and head over to the kitchen. You’ll set something aside for her, in case she gets hungry later. Then you’ll start getting ready for tomorrow.

You take a brief look out the window at the darkening sky, and hope that you’ll have good news to share with her when it’s over.


	29. Day 4 - Interlude 2

“Are you sure he’ll come?” 10Bit asks, peering a little anxiously down through the chain-link fence along the edge of the roof. You lean back against it to look along with him. Plenty of demons wandering around the streets, but not that much has changed since yesterday. They might sense you two all the way up here, but only flying demons could reach easily, and they would know that whoever has the high ground has the advantage. Why would they risk picking a fight like that?

No, this is a good, relatively safe neutral ground for this meeting. You’re as confident of that as you are of your plan. “Don’t worry, I rigged the files,” you say, waving your COMP at him with a grin, “I got an alert as soon as Naoya cracked them - he should be here any minute.”

10Bit relaxes a little at the reminder, and offers a slightly reassured smile in return. You can’t help the swell of affection for him - he hasn’t simply taken everything you’ve said at face value, but he _has_ adjusted remarkably quickly to learning your nature. That he still trusts you enough to be with you alone would make your tail wag, if you had one. There’s been plenty of humans over the years who haven’t even granted you that much.

As you feel the group’s arrival, and hear the footsteps pounding up the stairs, you get the feeling that Naoya’s going to have a little more difficulty.

“You absolute piece of shit!” He shouts, throwing the heavy door to the roof open with impressive force. His friends, from what you can tell, sound about half a floor behind. “Was this _funny_ for you? Did you and Kazuya have a good laugh, tag-teaming me like this?”

Yeah, that’s about what you expected.

“Naoya,” you say, pushing yourself away from the fence to step towards him, “It wasn’t like that-”

“Oh no? Then what _was_ it like?” His eyes are blazing, almost glowing in the dark. “Explain to me how you could possibly justify going behind my back, acting like you didn’t know me, that you _liked_ me, when you were just sneaking around and plotting with my cousin this whole time!” Finally the rest of his group catches up, but no one even has a chance to speak before he whips around and says, “Anyone else here want to admit to only talking to me because my control freak cousin made them? Because now’s the time!”

You wait until he’s stopped shouting before you ask, “Do you really want an explanation?” If he’s just venting, that’s fine, he has a right. There’s just no reason to throw around excuses if he doesn’t want them; that’d be an easy way to aggravate him even more. But you don’t think he’s this angry because he really wants to disregard your whole relationship. You know that much.

Sure enough, he looks back, almost surprised at the question. But then, he growls out, “I just _said_ I did.”

You nod, and try to say it as gently as possible. “Well, to make one thing clear - Kazuya didn’t make me do anything. He asked if I’d consider tutoring you. I suppose I can’t make you believe this, but honestly, once I saw what you were capable of, I’d have wanted to anyway. I’ve always loved teaching.”

His glare doesn’t waver, but he doesn’t shout when he says, “You were still lying to me. For _years_. Both of you.”

Well... “I know, you’re right. It doesn’t make up for much, but I am sorry.” It’s technically possible to argue that he never _asked_ if you knew his cousin - but you won’t pretend a lie of omission isn’t a lie. Besides, if you even want to hope you can rebuild trust with him, dodging blame now isn’t the way to do it.

“That’s right, I’m-” He stops, double-takes. Squints at you. “What?”

“You’re right. What we did was extremely underhanded,” you say, with a helpless kind of smile. “Kazuya believed that if you knew we were friends, it’d make it harder for you to accept help from me, and I agreed. But you’ve got every right to be upset with us for that decision, and for keeping this secret for so long.”

He stares at you, like you suddenly slipped into a foreign language halfway through. Then he drops his eyes and says, more to the ground than you, “Apologizing after all this time doesn’t make it _better_.”

“I know. I don’t expect it to - but you deserve one anyway. And at the very least, I promise to be more upfront with you from here on.” He still won’t look up, and you take another gauge of his friends behind him. They mostly seem confused by all this. Confused and,of course, suspicious of you. You smile, and add, “Any more than that, I think, is probably something we should talk about more privately, don’t you?”

He jumps a little, as if just remembering you two aren’t alone already. Glancing back over his shoulder at his friends, he reddens a little and coughs before saying, “Fine. Whatever. We’ve got more important things to talk about anyway.” And then, finally, he spots 10Bit. “And who the hell’s this guy?”

“Ah- sorry, should I have waited somewhere else?” 10Bit asks you, as bewildered by the angry teenager as Naoya is of him.

“Nah, it’s better we get everything out in the open all at once,” you say, putting an arm around his shoulders and nudging up forward. “Actually, Naoya, you two know each other a little already. You remember 10Bit, right?”

Naoya’s confusion lasts only a few more seconds, but after a few jumping glances between the two of you, his eyes widen and he asks, “What, seriously? How’d you even find him?”

“Psst, hey, Naoya,” Loki finally says, tapping his friend on the shoulder, “Not that this isn’t absolutely _riveting_ , but maybe you could give us hapless bystanders a few more details on what’s going on?”

“Ah... sorry.” He clears his throat, turning more fully to his friends. “These two are other members of a programming forum I’ve been hanging out on for a few years now. AT-LOW and 10Bit.” He gives 10Bit a side glance. “But _he’s_ been missing for a few months now.”

10Bit laughs a little bit. “To be honest, I’m surprised you noticed. I wasn’t the most consistent poster.”

“Maybe not, but you were definitely memorable.” He looks over at Loki, “You two’d get along, probably. He was always talking about some pet conspiracy theory.”

Loki’s eyes lit up at that. “Oh really? What kind?”

“Well, that ‘conspiracy theory’ is why I’ve been gone, to start,” 10Bit says good-naturedly enough, but his smile has a trace of defensiveness to it. “I’ve been doing undercover investigative work, and what I’ve found confirms it. Among those files Atsuro uploaded to your laptop are my findings.”

“...I guess that clinches it, then,” Naoya says, face grave but unsurprised, “The UEM Field actually exists, then?”

“That’s right.” The good-naturedness is gone, as are any traces of nervousness. 10Bit speaks clearly, with complete seriousness. “The whole city’s a bomb we’re stuck sitting on, and the government has the detonator.”

The statement hangs heavy in the air for a few quiet seconds. Then, the redhead - Haru, you think - asks, “Then is that what gonna happen in three days...? They’re just gonna fry everything inside the lockdown?”

Perceptive! You’d grin if the situation weren’t a little too grim for that, but you can't totally avoid a small smile. 10Bit just tilts his head, puzzled, “Three days?”

“I’ll explain later,” you say, then turn back to them and admit, “That, I don’t know for sure. But it does fit the situation very well, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Naoya says, nodding in a distracted way. “I mean, hell, they’ve already admitted they’re willing to sacrifice the city to protect the rest of the country from demons. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised they’re ready to do it directly, instead of just letting it happen.”

Amane, though, is the one who actually asks, “But would it actually work?”

Your smile widens another notch. “Well, what do you think?”

“I think you’re the one who agreed to answer our questions,” she said, flatly.

And _that_ you can't help but laugh at. “Fair enough! But you _have_ already guessed, haven’t you? You can’t have forgotten Beldr - he only had one weakness, and it wasn’t electromagnetic waves. There’s other demons who have their own set of resistances, as you’ve noticed too.”

Haru gapes, and looks to be wavering a little on her feet with the impact of the suggestion. But her voice is hard when she says, “All that, and it’s not even going to _work_? What the hell is the government thinking?”

“They may not know...” Amane says, uncertainly.

“True, _they_ may not... but you’ve learned another important detail today, haven’t you?” You raise a finger, pointing overhead. “They’re not the ones calling the shots.”

10Bit shifts next to you, giving you an uncertain side-glance. This part you’ve tried to explain to him, but he’s had some difficulty accepting it, even with the presence of demons. Naoya, though, latches on to the implication immediately, and says, “The angels. If they’re the ones behind the lockdown, they should have known _that_ much about the demons.”

You grin. “Bingo!”

“Then why? If it is angels, why even bother setting up a lockdown at all? If they know the UEM Field won’t kill all the demons, then they shouldn’t be allowing it as an option!”

“That’s because,” Amane says, before you can answer, “This is an ordeal. It’s to test _us_ , humanity. And if we can’t overcome it by ourselves, we don’t deserve to be saved.” She looks down, and with more bitterness than you’ve yet heard from her, says, “It seems my father got his wish after all.”

“Sure is convenient for them, huh?” Loki snorts, “They can get away with not doing anything at all, with that attitude.”

Naoya’s focus has turned inward, as he adds this piece of information to the puzzle he’s steadily been trying to fill in. You wait for him to ask, “That still doesn’t explain why now, though. Of all times.”

“ _That’s_ something with so many reasons, I’m not sure where to begin,” you say, trailing off as you try to pinpoint the best starting point. Even before Kazuya did anything, Kuzuryuu was planning to offer Belberith support. Even before Kuzuryuu began to plan, Abel and Cain were reborn as family, in a perfect position to be involved. Even before this life of theirs began, the war and humanity’s technological advancement had both been picking up a shocking level of speed. Finally, you shake your head and sigh. “All I can really say is, it’s been building up for a very long time. The War of Bel itself has been going on in the demon world for thousands of years. And you _have_ been a candidate from nearly the beginning - that’s not something Kazuya or I were responsible for.”

“But I’m not a demon!” He speaks through gritted teeth, his voice cracking despite his efforts at composure. “Why am I even involved in all this?”

“Well... who do you think stands to gain the most from a human ruling over demons?”

He tries to be still, but his breath hitches. Just a little. More pieces falling into place, you can tell. His arms are tight around himself, and he isn’t looking at you. Amane says something quietly to him, which you pointedly avoid listening to. It’s not really your business.

“There is more to all of this, of course,” you say, trying again to be gentle, “But I’d rather leave it to Kazuya to explain the rest. He knows his role in this situation better than I do. I just wanted to help make sure you understand the extent of what you’re dealing with. I assume you hadn’t heard any of that from the Shomonkai’s maiden?”

“No,” Naoya says, still sounding distant, but at least some sarcasm was seeping back in, “No, she neglected to mention any of that.”

“I suggest bringing it up to her when you get the chance. You should find it very educational.”

“Yeah, no shit,” he says, then shakes his head before finally looking back at you properly. “Okay. I guess we can leave it at that for tonight. But there is still one other thing you haven’t really made clear yet, though.” He looks directly at 10Bit. “Why exactly is he here?”

10Bit, who’d been looking quite uncomfortable at your little discussion, actually laughs at that, and seems relieved enough to say, “A couple of reasons, actually. Atsuro thought that you might not take him at his word without some kind of confirmation, so I offered to come along as proof. The other... you four have been spending a lot of time exploring the city during this lockdown, from what I hear?”

“Yep,” Loki says, slinging an arm around Naoya’s shoulder that looks distinctly protective to you, “We could probably navigate it blindfolded by now, we’ve been walking around so much.”

“Well, I was wondering if you’d met a reporter named Shoji.” He glances back down towards the streets for a moment, mouth tightening briefly. “She’s the student of a very good friend. We were supposed to meet up a few days ago, so I could give her the results of my investigation, but... well, all of this happened, and I was never able to find her.”

“Well, today’s your lucky day! We’ve got plans to meet up with her tomorrow - you can come with.” He turns to grin in Naoya’s frustrated face. “What? It’ll be nice to have a problem we can actually solve in one easy step, for a change.”

10Bit lets out a sigh of relief. “That would be perfect - ah, you know where Atsuro lives, right? I’ll be waiting there, so just come get me when you’re ready.” He smiles, a little ruefully. “I learned my lesson about wandering the streets by myself.”

“...Wait a second.” Haru squints at the two of you. “If Naoya knows where you live, why’d you even have us all meet you way up here instead of at your apartment? Those stairs were a pain in the ass.”

“Ah...” you grin a little, “Honestly, I was worried Kazuya would try to escape out the window if I did that. It’s not exactly safe for him to be out alone right now. And besides!” You cut Naoya off from what’s sure to be another slew of exasperated curses and/or questions, and look around the empty roof. “You can’t stay with Nikaido tonight, right? Not many demons are gonna think to look up here for prey. It might be a little uncomfortable, but you ought to be able to sleep safely.” Naoya, reluctantly, shuts his mouth and doesn’t argue the point. You look over at 10Bit, tilting your head a little. “And I think that should be everything? Unless there’s anything else you kids wanted to ask me.”

“I do, actually,” Amane says. Her tone is too carefully measured to read, but you can feel the suspicion rolling off her in waves regardless. “Do you have a contract with Kazuya?”

Your smile comes easily. “Nope! We’re just old friends.” It grows into a grin. “ _Very_ old friends.”

It’s quite an obvious bait, and as such no one takes you up on it. _That’s alright_ , you think as you wave a hand and lead 10Bit back down to the street so you can get home before it’s too dark out. Kazuya will be coming to speak with them tomorrow, he’s assured you of that. He can explain that part to them himself.


	30. Day 5, part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all very much for the continued support! If you have any feedback you'd like to add, or even if you just wish you could give an extra kudos, please feel free to leave a comment! I always appreciate them.
> 
> Also, a warning for discussions of suicide ideation this chapter.

Since you didn’t expect to sleep all that long anyway, you wind up volunteering for the last watch shift. It’s a relief, really, getting a few hours to yourself, after trying to keep up with those three for a full day. At least for now there’s nothing you have to worry about worry about. The rooftop remains undisturbed, just like Atsuro thought it would. Though is it really okay to just think of him by that name? It can’t be his real one. Naoya called him AT-LOW, but that’s obviously not it either. 

You kind of wish you all knew what kind of demon, exactly, the guy is. Maybe you don’t really know enough about all that stuff to tell them apart, but the others probably would. Way more than you do, at least.

If you’re honest, your mind’s still reeling from everything you’ve learned. You can’t help but wonder if it’s really alright for you to be involved in all of this... Gin, yes, you feel responsible for him. And Kaido helped you a lot too, so of course you want to repay him. But - all this other stuff about a war, and God, and Naoya? It really doesn’t have anything to do with you, and you can’t help feeling like an intruder because of it. 

You take another look around the roof, but there’s still no sign of anything coming up from the stairs. Not even people. That kinda worries you, more than the possibility of demons. If this is such a good spot, why  _ hasn’t  _ anyone else come up to try hiding here yet? You hope it’s just that people would rather hide in the apartments, but you can’t help thinking about all the demons yesterday that were walking around, right in the middle of the day. And all the people huddling together and lashing out, just trying to keep themselves safe.

Slowly, so as not to wake anyone else up, you climb about a foot up the chain-link fence, to get as far a view of the streets as possible.

By now, you see more demons than people. They’re really getting bold - and you don’t know if the lack of humans is a comfort or not. You hope, again, that they’re inside, or staying at the park. But if there’s fewer vulnerable people on the streets, then won’t the demons start breaking into places? It makes you sick, but you don’t feel like you’ve got a right to look away either. A part of you still thinks you should hurry down there, fight them all before they run into any other people. But you’re supposed to be on watch, and besides, you  _ had  _ promised you’d stick around until Gin’s taken care of.

...That makes you feel sick too. You should have stopped him completely when you had the chance, back when he showed up to help you. He hadn’t killed anyone yet back then, at least that you know of, and now... does this mean you’ll have to turn him over to the police after all this? Actually get him arrested? A low groan escapes you before you can stop it. It shouldn’t have come to this in the first place, it just shouldn’t.

Something moves out of the corner of your eye, and you jump a little before Naoya asks, “You okay?” and you realize it’s just him. The cautious tone in his voice puzzles you for a second, until your brain catches up and you realize how you must look, between the strained expression on your face and the way you’re partly up the fence.

You wave a hand at him, easing yourself back to the ground. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just trying to get a good look at what’s going on down there.”

He nods, then rubs the back of his neck and turns a little red. “Sorry.”

You blink. “What for?”

“I dunno... making assumptions?”

You give him a quick half-smile. “Eh, it’s fine. I mean, it’s not like you were wrong yesterday.” The admission leads into a not-really-comfortable silence, as he seems at a loss for what to say next. You hesitate, then wave at him to come closer. When he’s up and close enough that you can talk quietly, you ask, “So... is it fair if I make an assumption about you?”

He raises an eyebrow. “Depends on what.”

You hold onto the fence’s mesh, letting it hold your weight as you lean back on your heels. “It’s just... you didn’t really say much about yourself, yesterday. But you picked up on what I was doing pretty damn quick. And, well, there’s some other things too...” Especially last night. The way he went still, almost shutting down, like if he didn’t move none of it would really be happening. You look up at him from the corner of your eye, and ask, “You ever feel like that too?”

His face closes up again, just like it had last night when the confrontation became overwhelming. He doesn’t speak, or really move. It’s familiar enough to hurt. After seeing that, you don’t really expect an answer, but finally he takes a quick look back at Amane and Loki, still asleep, and manages to grind out, “Not as much anymore.” He lets out a shaky breath. “It was worst when I was a kid.”

Your eyes widen. “Really? When you were that young?”

He grips the chain-link mesh, looking away from you. “It’s not, y’know, a big deal. I never  _ did  _ anything. It was just... a thought that was always there.” His voice gets lower, and you almost don’t catch the last few words. You open your mouth, but before you can say anything, he whips his head back around and practically spits out, “I  _ know _ , okay, you don’t have to say it. It was stupid, what’s a kid got to worry about that’s that bad?”

Stiffening, more out of instinct than anything, you just say, “I wasn’t gonna say that.” He flinches a little, and looks away again. “ _ Was _ there a reason, or...?”

“...I don’t know. I can’t really tell.” His grip on the fence is tight enough to leave red marks on his fingers. “It was just- as far back as I can remember, there just didn’t seem to be any good reason for me to exist.” He doesn’t bring up last night’s talk, but you’re sure he’s thinking about it. And you, too, think about Gin and the demon he contracted. And Kaido, and the demon possessing him. Is this another type of the same problem? You don’t know enough about demons to say for sure, but you guess something as serious as being a ‘candidate of Bel’ would have to have  _ some  _ side effects.

“Well, it’s not like the reason matters all that much,” you finally say. Even if you’re right, what good would it do to bring up? It’s not like he’d be able to tell. And there’s something else you want to know even more anyway. “But what helped, if you never figured that part out?”

“...Meeting people, I guess. Who helped get me out of my own head. Kazuya used to-” And then he snaps his mouth shut. 

That gets a smirk out of you. “It’s fine if you want to talk to him. It’s hard to get a sense for the guy from all the secondhand info, you know?”

Immediately, “No, no way.” He grimaces, leaning forward against the fence. “I’ve already decided I’m not going down  _ that  _ rabbit hole again. If I did, I’ll wind up ranting all morning and screw up our schedule.” After a few seconds, he lets out a sigh. “It just... it took a long time. To start believing anything else. Even with help. So. Don’t feel like you have to rush into it.”

Your smirk disappears, and your face hovers around careful neutrality as you try to figure out what to replace it with. He didn’t have to answer such personal questions, and you didn’t really expect  _ that  _ much honesty. He’s really... trying to be encouraging. That he felt it was necessary to go that far makes your stomach knot a little, though whether it’s from guilt or embarrassment you can’t really tell. Maybe both. Either way, looking at him right now feels impossible. You mutter out a quick, “Thanks”, and hope he doesn’t take the subpar response personally.

But... well, it makes you wonder when the last time you actually spent around friends was. You lost touch with most of them the first time you moved, and whenever you tried to make new ones, you’d wind up moving again and losing them too, until you’d finally just given up on trying at all. You had your blog, and you readers, but that wasn’t really the same thing.

Still. What Loki said yesterday makes you wonder. How many of those people are worrying about you and not saying anything? That  _ does  _ make you feel guilty, but maybe you could... try reaching out a little more. Maybe. If nothing else, you’re pretty sure now that you can count on _one_ reader responding to it. Assuming, of course, you make it through this week.  


Suddenly, all your COMPs start beeping in unison. Like an alarm clock, they even manage to wake up Loki and Amane. You check your own, and you’re surprised at the time - the sky’s still pretty red, but if it were really almost nine then sunrise should long be over.

“So, this is the Laplace Mail,” Naoya says abruptly, like he’s trying to paste over your previous conversation, and tilts his screen towards you. “This is your first time seeing it, right?”

“Yeah...” Skimming the contents doesn’t inspire much confidence. The text is all garbled, but what you can make out slates both Kaido and Gin to die this morning. It’s not a surprise, you knew what they were both risking, but seeing it so plainly is...

“Welp, guess that’s not a surprise,” Loki says, echoing your thoughts with a forced kind of lightness, “I mean, c’mon, did any of us think Gin was really gonna survive Mari? She’s cold-blooded.”

“At least we have times and locations for both of them,” Amane says, very concentrated and business-like. “We should be able to make both, and we do have a little time beforehand. As long as we can find Mari first...”

As she sets the plan, you turn to give the sky a better look. The color is really bothering you - if the time on your COMPs is that off, you’re gonna be in trouble staying on top of everything today. What you see deserves only one reaction. “What the hell is  _ that _ ?”

The others turn and get up to look with you - over the city, there’s a strange kind of bruise in the sky. A bright purplish-blue, veins of darker red crawling out from it. Like cracks or something. Like the whole sky’s going to break apart. You swallow, but your throat feels dry and it almost hurts to do so. You don’t know much about demons or this war, but you  _ know  _ anything like that can’t be good.

No one speaks, until the gust of wind breaks your attention. A raven-looking demon goes flying past you, trying to escape, but you recognize the lion-headed monster that easily catches up and dispatches of it. Pazuzu gives you all a cursory glance, then returns back to the ground. 

“Whatever that is,” Amane says, almost as soon as the demon turns away, “We can worry about it later. For now, we have to try and follow him.” The only argument with that is Naoya’s insistence on using a Genma instead of taking all the stairs back down. 

 

* * *

Your first impression of Mari had been, if not especially good, a very strong one. She practically smells like danger. Reeks of it, even with the bags under her eyes, and the harried, single-minded look on her face. There’s no question she’s on the hunt, and likely has been since you last saw her yesterday. You try to tell yourself this is definitely not an ordinary situation, and as you heard from the others, Pazuzu was another demon contracted from outside the COMP. But even so, you don’t really know how to feel, seeing her like this. Did you look anything like this, yesterday? Do you still look like it now?

When you all get close enough for her to notice you, her eyes land on your group, and for a few seconds drift past. Then she blinks and mutters, “Oh, you kids...” She rubs at her eyes, and shakes her head, looking a little more alert once she’s done. In a crisp tone, she says, “Sorry, I don’t have time to talk now. Whatever it is, it’ll have to wait.”

“It’s about Kaido,” Naoya says, which makes her pause as she turns away. “And his brother’s killer.”

The whole air around her seems to shift then. She doesn’t move, and honestly you don’t think you can either, under the pressure coming off her in waves.

“What,” her voice is cold enough to make you shiver, “Are you talking about?”

“I mean, you  _ had  _ to have guessed the murderer’s a demon, right?” Loki says, with a shrug you find impressive, given the circumstances. “Well, Kaido’s going after it right now.”

She grabs the closest person to her - Naoya, as it turns out - and says, in that same cold, seething voice, “And you let him go on his own? Why didn’t you  _ stop him _ ?”

Like last night, like this morning, you expect Naoya to freeze up under the confrontation. But instead, he runs to the exact opposite end of the reactionary spectrum, and snaps, “What do you mean ‘let him’? Just what do you think he is? Of course he’s not just gonna wait around once he finds something like that out!”

Unfazed, she twists his shirt collar and pulls him down to her. “That’s why you should have  _ made  _ him stop - made him stay somewhere  _ safe _ ,” she growls, “Getting rid of that monster is  _ my  _ responsibility. He shouldn’t be involved!”

“He’s already involved!” The statement comes out before you can think about it. But even when you do, you push on, dig in your heels, “He’s  _ here _ , isn’t he? And he’s been trying to help us, and anyone else he can, and you too, since this stupid lockdown started!”

“And it’s  _ his  _ brother who died,” Loki says. “That’s just about as involved as you can get!”

Her eyes flick between you all, still like stone. Hard and unchanging. “That doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter and you all know it. What matters is it’s dangerous, and he could be killed, and it’s my responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“Do you know what he said, when we found out?” Amane asks, as calm as if she were talking about the weather, “He said we shouldn’t tell you. He didn’t want to burden you with anything else.”

Something shifts in her eyes, then. Her grip on Naoya’s collar loosens, just a little. “That’s... no, how he feels doesn’t matter-”

“Of course it matters!” Naoya explodes, “How he feels - about you, about his brother, about how he’s being treated - it  _ all matters _ , and if you can’t understand that... what the hell are you even  _ doing _ ?” There’s a ragged edge in his voice, like he’s out of breath. “‘Cause whatever it is, it’s not for him.”

Her eyes narrow, her mouth a tight line. She’s practically bristling. But she doesn’t say anything. The argument hangs in the air, until Pazuzu hovers behind her and starts to whisper, “ _ We do not have time for this squabbling. And you do not need their help. This is no time for distractions, when your men must be avenged- _ ”

She lets go of Naoya shirt, whipping her eyes up to the demon and hissing, “Shut  _ up _ .” Pazuzu, with what you think is annoyance, does. The tension weighs heavily - between you all and Mari, Mari and Pazuzu - and you can barely breath under it. Until, finally, slowly, she says, “What’s done is done. There’s no point fighting out it now. Just... where is he?”

“We’re going to meet up with him soon, to deliver this,” Naoya says, opening his bag to pull out the small bottle you managed to retrieve yesterday. “This is white amnion. Kaido needs it to defeat the demon - and  _ he’s  _ the only one who can use it.” He manages to hold Mari’s gaze. “You gonna help us deliver it?”

It’s only a moment, and then she grabs the bottle out of Naoya’s hand. “Alright. Show me where.”


	31. Day 5, part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all very much for the continued support! If you have any feedback you'd like to add, or even if you just wish you could give an extra kudos, please feel free to leave a comment! I always appreciate them. Also, as a head's up, I'm starting a new full-time job soon. I don't know yet how that'll affect my writing schedule, but odds are good it'll slow me down a lot, so apologies in advance!

Sunrise has long passed, the sun peeking over the trees in the park already. You try not to pace, you should save your energy, but you can’t shake the bad feeling. The kids still aren’t here - what were you thinking, even asking them to get involved at all? They could’ve gotten hurt going after that guy, or maybe they’re caught up in something more important. Right now, you’re a sitting duck.

“ _ Be patient _ ,” Kresnik says, with your mouth, but you’re sharing a damn brain. You can tell he’s nervous too. He notices your recognition, and something like guilt mingles between the two of you.

It’s been a disorienting twenty-odd hours.

All of that gets pierced through, though, by the laughter that starts ringing out.

“ _ What’s this, Kresnik? Finally given up on running away? Or perhaps, you longed to see me again too! _ ”

Though you hate to admit it, Kresnik’s sight and reaction time both have your’s beat. He manages to pinpoint the oversized crow in one of the surrounding trees, just before it takes to the air. Kudlak cackles, circling above like a vulture, and dives, talons scratching for your eyes. He’s small enough that you can knock him away easily, but you still try to put as much distance between the two of you as possible. You and Kresnik are both very aware that this fight can’t be won until those kids get back with the amnion. 

“ _ Silly Kresnik~ I told you, didn’t I? You can’t match me anymore. _ ” Despite having a beak, the crow manages to look like his grinning. “ _ Your poor vessel, being dragged into our little spat, _ ” he says, diving again, managing to tear through your sleeve to slice the arm below as you try to bat him away again. You hiss and look around for a rock, or a stick, something to fight back with. “ _ Though perhaps I should thank you! _ ”

“ _ Don’t listen to him, _ ” Kresnik cautions, and you try, but that voice is piercingly shrill. Not exactly an easy feat.

“ _ After all, _ ” Kudlak continues, “ _ The blood in my veins misses him so terribly~ _ ”

And despite Kresnik’s control, despite the fact that you can see Kudlak beginning to dive towards you again, you freeze. The certainty with which he said it, the sheer horror that your brother might be conscious in some way, even now, even after everything. Trapped in that thing, still, somehow, watching-

\- and then in a flash, the crow returns to the form of Kudlak, the beak bursting into a wide and glittering grin as he locks his arms around you. His claws dig into your back, and his breath is on your throat, and the paralysis is over now and you struggle to break away, but even as Kresnik takes over with his greater strength, the nails just dig into you deeper, and you feel his laugh rattling against you.

Then, something grabs Kudlak’s head - a large clawed hand twisting into his hair, pulling it back hard enough that a human’s neck would probably have been snapped. Kudlak shrieks, his grip on you loosening. It offers enough room for Kresnik to give him a hard punch to the gut and break away.

“Tadashi-!” Mari shouts, and once you can see, you recognize the demon aiding you as the one who had been with her yesterday morning. It throws Kudlak aside, and she and the kids all quickly step in, taking a protective stance around you.

“Are you okay?” Haru asks, unable to stop glancing back at you, even as she tries to keep her eyes on Kudlak.

“Yeah... yeah, thanks to you guys,” you say, letting out a shaky laugh. How else can you react, really? You take another look at Mari, and swallow the rebuke you might have made yesterday. Now isn’t the time and... and you’re kind of glad she’s here, after all. Even more than the old guilt at letting her fight your battles for you again, it’s reassuring to have her in your corner.

She looks back at you, pulling a bottle out of her skirt pocket. “Here. You need this, right?”

Kresnik takes over again, you feel him like a warm wave. “ _ My thanks, _ ” he says, and you see Mari start at the change in voice, a suspicious glint coming to her eyes. But she doesn’t argue, and lets Kresnik take the bottle from her. As soon as he swallows the contents, the surge of power hits you like a bolt of lightning. Your veins almost burn under your skin, and the adrenaline makes you grin despite yourself. You haven’t wanted to fight like this in ages, even if you’re just a body to pilot.

“ _ Remember, everyone _ ,” Kresnik says, stepping you forward, to join the line of them. “ _ I must land the finishing blow, no matter what. _ ”

Amane, next to you, nods. “Of course, don’t worry. We’ll clear the path for you.”

“ _ You brought friends along? _ ” Kudlak says, with an exaggerated pout as he dusts himself off and starts rising back into the air. “ _ What a shame... but then, I suppose it’s only fair to bring my own! _ ”

Black and red lightning flashes, striking the ground around Kudlak. Where each one hits, Babd Cathas and Orobos and all kinds of demons appear, until you’ve got a good dozen or so staring you down.

‘ _ We can’t afford to waste time on them _ ,’ Kresnik thinks to you, ‘ _ We must defeat Kudlak, before we’re too worn down by their numbers. _ ’

You’d nod, if you could. The demons attacking are a bigger problem as a distraction than an actual threat. And if Kudlak can summon them, then their numbers won’t dwindle much as long as he’s alive. At least for the kids’ sakes you have to make sure you don’t drag this out. Kresnik can heal your body, but it takes magic that you don’t know you can afford to lose.

Still... you let out a breath, and mentally take a step back. Kresnik can run this show. It’s fine. If all you can contribute is a body, then that’s enough.

It’ll have to be.

Once the lightning stops, the Babd Cathas take off flying, their wings large enough to blot out the sky. When you look again, Kudlak’s not there any more. 

The rest of the demons don’t waste any time just standing around. They surge towards all of you - and the kids’ teams appear at their sides and meet them head-on. There’s practically a wall in front of you, and your first impulse is to leap into it yourself. ‘ _ Never mind that - we have to find him, _ ’ Kresnik reminds you, turning your eyes skywards. Right, of course. What better place for him to hide than in that flock? The Babd Catha are a dark navy blue; you have to pick Kudlak’s black feathers out from that.

Fortunately, Kresnik’s eye is keener than your’s.

“ _ There _ ,” he barks, in time to spot one of the Babd Cahs preparing to dive. Haru moves quickest, her Ym striking Kudlak with a Zio, despite the distance. Not enough to stop him, but you don’t want him stopped. With him off-balance, you can land a clean, hard blow with only shallow scratches for your troubles.

The bird squawks, and sounds genuinely distressed when he says, “ _ What? Don’t tell me, you took  _ **_that_ ** _...? Why, Kresnik? _ ”

“ _ You knew this would come to an end one day, Kudlak, _ ” he says, his words cold and unforgiving in your mouth, “ _ Prepare yourself. _ ”

“ _ Noooo! I don’t wanna die! _ ” Kudlak shrieks, sounding too pained to be anything but genuine, flapping desperately to rejoin the flock and lose itself amongst the Babd Cathas again. Naoya takes to the sky aboard his own giant bird, cutting him off and driving him back with flames. Kudlak hisses, and the other Babd Cathas start to swarm towards the two of them.

And then Pazuzu steps in. 

It kicks up a massive gale, striking the core of the flock and sending them scattering across the sky. Kudlak gets knocked about just the same, and heads back towards the ground, below the brunt of the wind. You run to catch him. Mari gets there first, grabbing a fistful of its feathers and managing to hold him. 

“ _ Oh? _ ” Kudlak laughs, a frantic sound to it as it shifts back into a vampire, “ _ Why, isn’t this perfect! I could use a pick-me-up right about now!”  _ Like with you, he moves to latch onto her.  _ “He longs for you too, you know. Oh-so-desperately~ _ ”

He gravely underestimated the situation. Eyes wide and unforgiving, Mari lunges below his attempt to grab her and grabs his cape instead. Before you can blink - if you were capable of blinking right now - she yanks him backwards to grab him by the throat and twists into slamming his face into the concrete.

“Did you think it would be that easy?” She says, too calmly, and lifts his face only to slam it into the ground again. Kudlak starts to laugh, louder and longer, as she pummels him into the street.

“ _ That’s right, that’s right!”  _ He manages to say, despite the onslaught,  _ “You do want to kill me, don’t you! _ ” He laughs, splattering blood out onto the ground, “ _ Show me! Show me how much you hate me and- _ ”

You get it, then. He hadn’t underestimated her at all. Your feet move on their own, and it has nothing to do with Kresnik.  “Mari, stop!” You shout,  and she flinches, heistates. Jerks her head back around to look at you, as if just remembering you’re there.

“Tadashi...” Her breath is heavy, and she looks back at the demon pinned underneath her. The blood and the wounds. And, finally, she lets go of him, stepping away. “Right. It’s your turn now.”

Kudlak takes a second to understand, then starts to scramble backwards. “ _ Wait, don’t-! _ ”

“ _ Thank you, _ ” Kresnik says to her, and so do you, your voices mingling and sounding strange even to your own ears. Then he looks straight at Kudlak. The demon screams, and tries to get up and flee, but Mari traps it with one foot on its cape. 

“ _ Farewell, Kudlak, _ ” Kresnik says, a light forming in his fist, looking almost like a stake. He drives it through Kudlak’s chest, and the light sinks into him, burning underneath the demon’s skin bright enough to watch.

“ _ Kresnik! Kresnik, no, please! _ ” He screams, he cries, all while his body disintegrates to ash from the inside out, “ _ How could you end this? We were supposed to have for- _ ”

And then, finally, he stops talking as the last of him turns to dust and is swept away by the wind.

No one speaks right away, even as the remaining demons scatter with the death of their leader, and the come over to join you three. Eventually, it’s Mari who breaks the silence with, “It’s over then. Just like that...”

“Yeah,” you say, still staring at the ground where Kudlak’s body was. You’re not sure how you feel - especially not with Kresnik still camping out in your head. There’s relief and triumph and still something almost like disatisfaction. You wonder why Kudlak called out to Kresnik like that at the end. But even if he hears your thoughts, he doesn’t answer them. He simply turns your head towards the group and says, “ _ I cannot thank you all enough for aiding me in my mission. If you are ever in need of help, do not hesitate to call upon me. _ ” His gaze lingers on Naoya, who shifts uncomfortably under it. “ _ Consider this my pledge to you, young Bel. _ ”

Naoya avoids looking at him, rubbing the back of his neck. “You don’t have to go that far...” 

“ _ Perhaps not, but I wish to. _ ” He lets out a breath, and you can almost feel him disappearing with it. “ _ And thank you, Tadashi Nikaido. I could not have done this without your help, _ ” he says, and you can feel the gratitude, right next to your own. “ _ May we meet again. _ ”

And then he’s gone. You’re alone in your head again. Just like that.

“Tadashi,” Mari says, before you have a chance to collect any of your scattered thoughts left in his wake, “These kids said... you didn’t want me to be here for this.”

“I... yeah.”

She looks at you, holds your gaze. “Because you thought it would be a burden for me? Is that right?”

“Mari-”

“I’m sorry,” she blurts out. “For making you feel that way. That you couldn’t come to me for help. I- I’ve never thought of you as a burden, ever. I was just...”

“Mari-” you say again, without knowing what you’re going to say next, just letting the words come as they will, “Don’t apologize, okay? I get it, I do. I... I know you miss him. I just wanted... to make it easier on you too. So you didn’t have to worry about me as much. And...” Your eyes fall, you can’t stop them. “And maybe it wasn’t all for you anyway. Hell, I wanted him dead too. And maybe I- I wanted to prove myself.” You snort. “By running into danger like an idiot.”

“No.” She shakes her head firmly. “Don’t say that. I’m the idiot. I’m one who’s been pushing you away all this time.” It doesn’t sound like she’s finished talking, but it takes a few seconds and another breath before she continues. “Even if I missed him, or if I was scared for you... I shouldn’t have forgotten the most important thing.” She looks up at you, and your surprised by the smile making its way to her face, “You’re my family, Tadashi. And I’ve missed you too.”

She hugs you, slowly, and even then it takes a second for it to sink it. But you hug her back, tight, and... and something in you loosens. You let out a breath, and feel her squeeze you back, even harder.

Then, someone clears their throat behind you. With a start, you’re suddenly  _ extremely  _ aware how close you might have been to crying, and feel your face heat up as you pull away.

“Not to interrupt,” Loki says, “But there’s something else we need to tell you about.”

Naoya wastes no time getting to the point. “It’s about Gin. He’s made a contract with a demon and it’s been going around murdering people.”

Any warmth or softness from Mari vanishes, her hackles raising and teeth showing when she starts to say, “Then he’s the one who-”

“Yeah. But we can stop him, we’re sure of it,” Haru says, hands balled into fists, “He’s already lost his COMP, so if we can just defeat the demon he’s with, we might be able to talk some sense into him.” She looks up at you. “We wanted to ask you to help. You know him better than most of us... he might listen to you better”

“Of course,” you say, without having to think about it, “If he’s in trouble, I’ll-”

“He’s killed member of the Daemons, Tadashi,” Mari says, very quietly.

...

You turn to her slowly, and a “What?” croaks out of you.  


“Eiji, Rin, and Satoru, at least that I know of.” She brushes her hair back. “I’ve ordered the other members to stay at the base, but I haven’t been there to watch them either.”

You try to reconcile this in your head - that Gin, the who you’ve tutored, who you’ve watched learn and work towards doing the right thing, could have murdered three friends you’ve known for years. Maybe it’s a lack of imagination, but you just can’t. Even if it was his demon actually killing people, it still doesn’t feel real. He’s just a  _ kid _ .

...Though you remember the look on his face yesterday morning. Maybe it’s not that far-fetched after all. 

But. But even so- “If... there’s a way we can stop him without killing him, then we have to try.” You can’t think of him as the same as the demon you’ve just killed. Not the kid who came to you for help so many times. Who listened to stories about your brother with open admiration. You shake your head, and say more firmly, “No, we will. I’ll make sure of it.”

Mari stares at you for a long few seconds, her mouth a hard line and her shoulders squared. You know her sense of responsibility, and you know her determination, and you expect a fight. But finally, to your surprise, she nods.

“...Alright. I have to look for Honda, myself.” She glances off, mouth tightening. “I don’t... really remember the last time I saw him. It was yesterday, but...” As she trails off, she gives Pazuzu a quick glance, then shakes her head. “In any case, I’ll look for him and make sure he’s alright. If you stop Gin by the time I’m done taking care of that, then I’ll let the matter drop. At least for now.” Then she looks at you, straight in the eye. “But I won’t just sit back if another Daemon gets killed, Tadashi. You know I can’t.”

What argument can you make against that? Hell, if if were a gang or something, you’d probably agree with her. So you just say, “I know. But you won’t have to.” You look over at the kids, and nod. “We’ll take care of it.”

After that... you don’t know. You really haven’t the slightest idea how you’ll even look at Gin, once this is over. It won’t be the same ever again. But even if that's true, it still doesn’t mean you don't want him to live.


	32. Day 5, part 3

“Police, again?” You sigh to yourself, once you get close enough to the source of the screams for help. Not a surprise, but there’s a vague sense of disappointment anyway. They should be ashamed of themselves, allowing power to corrupt them just because they aren’t being held accountable. And these were the people everyone was supposed to look up to, to trust? The woman with them notices you first and screams again. You smile. This time, you won’t be too weak to help. “Don’t worry,” you say, walking towards them, as the cops take notice and start to blanche, “Yama will judge them.”

Yama swoops down from behind you, just narrowly missing one of the cops. They scatter, trying to get away, but the woman’s screams seem to have attracted more demons to the site. You frown a little - if you still had your COMP, you could fight them, but as is you don’t have much choice other than just keeping out of the way. You suppose that as long as the woman gets away safely, it doesn’t matter whether Yama deals the finishing blow to those officers, or the other demons do. But it’s a matter of principle.

“Gin!”

You blink and look over your shoulder to see Shirou and Haru and the others running towards you. You start to frown, before you notice. Kaido’s with them too...? 

A pang of guilt hits you hard enough to make you flinch, which you try to quash with confusion. There’s no need to feel guilty, right? Even if the Daemons were his friends... they’d done something terrible. Unforgivable. That’s what Yama judged, and them being people you knew didn’t change that. It would’ve been worse to look the other way just because they weren’t strangers.

You try to ignore them, instead focusing on cutting off one of the officer’s escape routes. His demons are a few feet behind him, trying to fend off a pair of Quetzalcoatls and only managing to get caught in their grip. Even you can fight back against a regular human, at least enough to keep him still long enough for Yama to pass judgment.

“You idiot-!” Naoya shouts, “Get out of the way!”

Shirou appears next to you with his demons, with Naoya not far behind on his own Orthus. Shirou’s Hanuman knocks the officer back with the back of his swords, striking the COMP from his hands. As he turns back to grab it, Naoya’s Orthus crushes it under his claws. The sorry excuse for a cop sobs out, “No! No, please, someone already stole my gun, I’ll have nothing-”

“Not our problem,” Shirou says, wagging a finger, “And if you don’t get out of here fast, you’re gonna be charcoal for sure.”

The guy hesitates only a second, then starts running. You try to get in his way again, but Shirou grabs your arm and yanks you back.

You tear yourself away from him, shouting, “What the hell are you doing? He’s getting away!”

Shirou shrugs. “Yeah, that’s kinda the idea!”

You’re ready to argue, but with the fleeing officer’s COMP destroyed, his demons are gone too. And the Quetzalcoatl that were kept busy by them are still there. Naoya’s launches a flame attack at them as they try to fly towards you - can they tell you don’t have a COMP of your own? - and then... 

...you’re not where you were. You blink, and spin back around to see Amane over there in your place, her Bai Zei next to her. It must have switched the two of you.

And now you’re stuck between Haru and Kaido. 

“Gin,” Kaido says, grabbing you by the shoulders so you can’t get away, “What the  _ hell  _ is going on here? What are you  _ doing _ ?”

You can’t quite make yourself knock his hands away like you did Shirou’s. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to back down either. “I’m doing what’s  _ right _ ,” you say, “Yama - I’m helping him find the criminals in this lockdown, so he can punish them. We’re making it safer. Demons are bad enough without scum like this-”

“Scum like  _ what _ ?” He snaps, “What did these guys do - what did the  _ Daemons  _ do?”

He knows- that guilt again, sharp and painful in your stomach. You can’t help dropping your eyes, just for a moment, before saying, “They murdered an old woman. I saw it, Kaido, they were all over her, stealing her food. And Yama judged them irredeemable. Can you say they weren’t?”

“That’s not the point - how can you, or that demon, say they  _ were _ ?” He’s breathing heavily, teeth bared. “Those guys... yeah, what they did might have been unforgivable. But people all over this lockdown are trapped and scared and doing stupid, dangerous shit. You’re doing it too! Right now!” 

“You don’t understand!” And now you do pull out of his hold, aggressively stepping away and turning back to the fighting. “I’m different. I’m not on a power trip, or panicking. I’m not going off something as subjective as my own ideas of right and wrong. Yama’s been doing everything himself.”

Kaido doesn’t give up that easy either. “And what even makes you think that this demon’s got perfect judgment, anyway? Do you even know how he’s making these calls?”

“I don’t have to.” Yama keeps trying to get to the remaining officer, but Naoya and Amane are blocking him at every turn. The cop don’t seem to be holding their COMPs anymore - ah, no you can see pieces on the ground from where his has been destroyed too. Surely with only one target left, it’s only a matter of time until Yama finds a way to it. “He’s not human. He’s not swayed by things like personal biases. His whole existence is about judging evil - there’s nothing more trustworthy than his word.”

Haru hasn’t said anything since she first called your name, but now, suddenly, she pipes up. “If you’re so sure about that, then this shouldn’t bother him.” She pulls out her COMP, demons flashing to her side, and immediately runs ahead of her to go after Yama.

You feel an impulse to stop her, but... but she  _ is  _ right. Yama’s not going to hurt her. She’s a good person, she’s proven that in no uncertain terms. Even if she gets in his way, Yama is just. And when he leaves her alone, then everyone will understand that you’re right.

You’re sure of it. Completely. Because Yama is better than foolish, easily frightened humans.

So you stand back and watch as she blocks a hit meant for one of the officers. As she hits him with a blast of ice. As Yama looms over her, and says, loud and clear, “ _ Mortal... if thou wouldst raise a hand against me, thou shalt be counted amongst the sinners and face judgement. _ ”

Time slows. The words echo in your ears.

That. That can’t be right. He can’t mean that. Haru’s a good person, you _know_ that, he can’t just lump her in with murderers and criminals from one hit.

“W-Wait...” You step towards him, legs shaking almost as much as your voice. You must have misheard. He must be joking. You don’t know how the misunderstanding happened, but it  _ must  _ have,  _ somehow _ , because what he said cannot be right. “Wait, leave her alone-”

Yama turns to you then, eyes unforgiving slits. “ _ Obstruction of justice is a sin, mortal. And our contract has only one purpose. The dispensing of justice. If you will not hold up your end of the bargain, then there is no contract at all. _ ”

Even when the flame comes at you, you can’t move. You’re still convinced that this isn’t really happening. That someone made a mistake, somewhere. Then you feel a hand grabbing the back of your shirt and yanking you out of the way, and all you feel is the rush of heat narrowly missing you.

“You get it now?” Kaido says, though he’s holding onto you tightly, just in case you still don’t. He doesn’t have to. You don’t think you even can move right now. If you tried, everything would just fall apart. Already, everything before your eyes is blurring together, and your legs feel like they’re going to give out. You want to be sick, but you don’t even feel held together enough for that.

That’s how the fight finally ends. Right before your eyes, while you’re still motionless and powerless. The second cop gets away, the woman running in the opposite direction, never looking back. Trapped between the four demon tamers, Yama finally disappears with a rage-filled roar, and the last of whatever was holding you up goes with him. You crumble to the ground, even with Kaido’s hands trying to keep you up.

“I...” You what? You don’t even know what you’re trying to say. But they’re looking at you, walking over to you, and you have to say something. “I didn’t- I didn’t know-”

“Didn’t know what?” Naoya snorts, crossing his arms, “The actual morality of the demon you were letting kill whoever it wanted?”

Despite the haze in your mind, his words still cut through sharp enough to rouse your anger. “It was fine before now!” You glare up at him. “I saw the crimes people were committing - he only ever killed people who deserved it! It was just now-”

“He was going to kill the people who attacked me, even though they were stopped,” Haru says, quiet but stone-hard, “How is  _ that  _ just?”

“Because-”  _ they were bad people _ , is what you would have said. Because if Yama was going to kill them, then they must have been planning to try again. But with Yama being willing to kill Haru, the justification rings hollow to you now. She’s right. Looking at it plainly, the crime was never even committed. And he still tried to kill them. It had... it had made sense at the time, you’re sure of that, but now...

Now the only answer left to you is clear and unmistakeable. “It wasn’t,” you admit, toneless and barely more than a whisper. Or maybe it was. But now, even if you still feel justified, even if maybe the people Yama killed had deserved it, you can never know for sure. All certainty is gone, and certainty was the only reason you could do any of it. “I... I have to get a COMP again.” You push yourself up, struggling to get back on your feet. “I have to- to do better this time. Fix it, and-”

“You can’t fix it,” Naoya says, plainly, “This isn’t something you  _ can  _ fix.” Nothing changes in his stance, or his stare, but his voice shifts away from impatience. “It’s just something you’ve done, that you’re gonna have to live with, and never do again.”

But it’s Amane who says, “And I don’t believe it’s a good idea for you to have a COMP again. I can’t stop you from looking for one, I suppose, but-” She glances over at the others, who each wind up nodding.

“Yeah, Gin, I think... maybe you should step away from all this for a while,” Haru says, rubbing one of her arms. “Take some time to pull yourself together.”

“I can’t do that!” You look from one face to the other, trying to find any signs of disagreement between them. “There’s- there’s so much going on, I can’t just sit around moping, I have to do something-”

“Hey, c’mon,” Shirou says, patting you on the shoulder in a too-casual way, “It’s not like you can only pick between fighting demons and doing nothing, right? You’ve got options!” You think... his smile looks a little tight. “But like. You look totally awful right now, y’know? No way running right back out there’s a good idea.”

You can’t really understand what he’s saying. What any of them are. Your whole head’s a mess, and you can’t think. It was easier with Yama there. You always... you always knew what to do, how to think. You were _certain_. _Always_. And now, they’re telling you that you can’t even at least go back to what you were doing before that?

“Gin.” Kaido interrupts your thoughts, with that stern ‘you better pay attention’ way he uses during tutoring sessions. It works, anyway. “Look, I... I don’t know what to do about what you did. I really don’t. But... just come home. Stay with me until this is all over, okay? We can figure everything out as it comes.”

You’re still struggling to let what he’s saying sink in. It doesn’t sound real. “But that’s- that’s not right. I can’t just, after what I did-”

"Well, I don’t  _ care  _ if it’s right or not, okay?” Kaido snaps, “ _ I _ don’t want you out here alone, and  _ I _ don’t want you to die. Isn’t that enough?”

 You nod. At first slowly, then again more rapidly, as you start shaking and the full weight of everything that’s happened the last few days finally comes crashing down on you. “I’m- I’m sorry,” you try to say, even if Naoya’s right and it doesn’t fix anything, “I just...” But the rest dies on your tongue. The feelings are too big, and you wouldn’t know where to start even if you tried right now. You just shake, until Kaido puts his arms around your shoulders, and holds you together until you’ve calmed down enough to walk.


	33. Day 5, part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all very much for waiting! Unfortunately, this is probably a good indicator of how much work and summer is gonna slow me down, so apologies in advance. But don't worry - I have no intention of dropping this fic! As always, if you have any feedback you'd like to add, or even if you just wish you could give an extra kudos, please feel free to leave a comment! I always appreciate them.

You’d be lying if you said you didn’t have to hold back a sigh of relief as Kaido leaves with Gin. It wasn’t something you’d had time to discuss with the others any earlier, but you’d known since you saw Gin with Yama that he couldn’t be trusted with the responsibility of owning a COMP again. Naoya, you thought, would agree with you on that, but you didn’t know Haru that well, and you can’t always predict what Loki will or won’t take a hard stand on.

“Thank you,” you say to Loki, breaking the silence that was left in the wake of the fight and Gin’s outburst, “For backing me up there. I know he’s your friend...”

“I mean, sure, but you are too, and you had the better idea, so,” Loki says, with an exaggerated shrug, “And it’s not like we even have time to go hunting down a new COMP for him anyway. There’s no way it woulda worked out.”

“So, um,” Haru interrupts, fidgeting a little when you turn towards her, “Is this where we should be splitting up, then?”

“Why would we do that?” Naoya asks, crossing his arms.

“Well... you know. I agreed to help you out with Gin, but that’s all taken care of now. And I’m not ... I’m not exactly involved in the rest of this.” She tucks some hair back behind her ear. “It’d be easier to not have an outsider hanging around, right?”

Immediately, Loki steps towards her, clapping her on the shoulder. “Not at all! C’mon, the Shomonkai’s one of the biggest groups in the lockdown! We can’t start whittling down the team now!”

“And you’ve been very helpful - we couldn’t have managed nearly as well without you,” you smile a bit, “It might have been a risk, but your method of showing Gin the dangers in his choice was far more effective than anything the rest of us were able to come up with.”

She doesn’t answer for a few seconds, but you see her thinking it through. The hesitation on her face is blatant enough, but underneath it there’s a hard, determined edge to her eyes. It isn’t a surprise when she finally nods and says, “Alright. If you’re sure.”

“We’re sure,” Naoya says, before turning and starting to walk. “Now, c’mon, we better go meet up with Keisuke. The sooner we get this over with, the better.”   
  


* * *

 

You almost double-take when you see Midori waiting alongside Keisuke outside his apartment. When she spots your group, she even takes the initiative more quickly than him, fists tight and face anxious when she asks, “So you’re gonna find out what happened to her? To Aya?”

“We’re going to try, yes,” you nod, relieved to not be stuck in a position to hide it from her, “I’m sorry I can’t promise anything more concrete...”

She shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. It’s already- it’s already more than I thought I was gonna hear.” Keisuke walks up behind her, and seems to want to talk, but before he can, she grabs your hands and squeezes them between her own, “Whatever it is,  _ please  _ tell me. I can handle it, I swear.”

You resist the urge to give Keisuke a look at that. She shouldn’t have to feel like she needs to get a promise over that, but since she does... “Of course,” you say, giving a light squeeze back, “Anything we can find out, you’ll know.”

She lets out a sigh, and gives you a weak smile, before dropping your hands and stepping aside so Keisuke can hand you his recorder. It’s smaller than you expected - you suppose you had old-fashioned tape recorders in mind. Your father would sometimes record his speeches on them. But this shouldn’t stand out in your pocket as long as your shirt’s covering it. Though you wonder if it’ll be able to do it’s job clearly in that case.

“You should be able to record a couple of hours worth on there,” he says, “Try not to let it sink too far down, or it’ll start to get muffled. And...” He leans a little closer. “If it starts to get too dangerous, don’t hesitate to get out of there. We can always find another way.”

“Yeah,” Midori says, nodding seriously, “Make sure you don’t get hurt.”

Naoya gives you a pointed look and mutters under his breath, “Maybe if she’s the one asking you not to do any stupid, you’ll actually listen.”

You choose not to acknowledge this.

“We’ll stay here - hanging around too close to the building would probably attract attention,” Keisuke says, and no one argues the point. If the Shomonkai already has eyes on Midori, then they should both stay as far away as possible from the group.

On the way to their headquarters, you all go over the plan again. You’ll go in alone, and try to get as much information about Aya and the server from Azuma as possible. The three of them will wait outside, and if you don’t come back out on your own, they’ll sneak in and try to get you out themselves. You don’t know how many of the members are going to have COMPs, but you don’t think fighting your way out would be easy. Hopefully it won’t come to that.

When you arrive, though, Azuma isn’t the one waiting outside the building when you arrive. It’s another member, face too shadowed by his hood to tell whether or not you’ve seen him before.

He hesitates, but when you don’t initiate, grits out, “...I’ve been asked to bring you inside, so that you and Master Azuma can discuss this privately.” You keep your face a careful neutral. Whoever brings you in isn’t that important, you suppose, but you do think it speaks to a lack of trust on Azuma’s part. You didn’t expect to be able to just walk out, but this confirms they plan to make it as difficult as possible for you to leave. You almost miss it when he starts to speak again. “Of course, he realizes that this proposal may leave you feeling ill at ease, so if Kazuya Minegishi’s cousin would like to accompany you, that would be acceptable.”

Naoya nearly jumps out of his skin at the abrupt offer. “What? Why?”

In a too-patient tone, the member says, “If you are Master Kazuya’s cousin, then you have some right to be here. Perhaps you can even understand his work, and the ideals he sought after. We haven’t had time to throw anything of his away yet.” He glances at Loki and Haru. “You two, however, must stay outside.”

A trap. This has to be a trap. You keep your expression controlled, and ask, “...Can we have a moment to discuss this?”

“Master Azuma is very busy - he doesn’t have all day to waste waiting for you.”

You’d known Azuma was planning something, and that was a risk you were prepared to take for yourself. But you don’t want to risk Naoya. Especially since he’s already been targeted, and you can manage alone just fine anyway. So you’re about to decline on his behalf, when he interrupts with, “It’s fine. I’ll go.”

You blink up at him, and ask “Are you sure?” in a way that you hope gets across the ‘ _ Don’t _ ’.

“I’m not letting you go in alone,” he says, “And I do want to see what Kazuya worked on. I doubt anyone else is gonna give it to me.” Then, more softly. “Who knows, it might even include the server.”

“Ah, one more thing,” your guide adds, in a self-important kind of way, “Leave your COMPs outside.”

Well, you’d hoped that might get overlooked, but you guess you didn’t expect it to. “Very well,” you say, handing your COMP over to Loki and catching his eye. He doesn’t do anything as obvious as nod, but you’re sure he understands your meaning. This doesn’t change his or Haru’s role here. Naoya shrugs his bag off, doing the same before readjusting his coat over his shoulders.

The member watches you all carefully, then nods and gestures for you to follow him, before turning and entering the building.

It really doesn’t look any different from a regular office, but then, you supposed your father always kept his room at home fairly normal-looking too. Only the uniforms of the few members shuffling around distinguishes it. You focus on remembering the order of turns you’re led down, and how many flights of stairs you’re led up. It’s convoluted enough that before long, you suspect your guide is just walking you around in circles to confuse you before getting to the point.

Frustrated, you take a second to look up at Naoya, his face pale and tight. Better to walk in knowing what you were expecting, you’d said before, but that’s not as easy as he’s trying to act. You almost think to squeeze his hand, but it’s not a good idea while there’s anyone around. 

At least the time spent walking gives you an opportunity to start the recorder. Your guide doesn’t bother looking back at you two - too focused on making this place a maze for you - and once you reach an otherwise-empty corridor, you let your fingers slip into your pocket and switch it on. If the walk drags out too long, it could run out of time early, but... you doubt Azuma will give you an opening like this.

Finally, your guide stops in front of a plain door, only distinguished by the small name placard next to it, and says, “Here we are. Master Azuma is waiting for you inside.” Naoya moves to open it, but the member cuts him off with a blunt, “Not you.”

Naoya raises an eyebrow, and doesn’t step back. “Excuse me?”

“Lady Amane is the one with the appointment. You’ll stay out here, with us.”

Two more members step up to his side while he’s talking. Naoya’s wariness deepens. “That wasn’t what you said before-”

“You won’t have any interest in what they’re to speak of. Instead, we’ll escort you to your cousin’s work space. Master Azuma is sure you’ll find that more interesting.”

“Naoya-” you start to say, ready to intimate he should do whatever he can to make himself scarce while it’s still an option, but he just shakes his head.

“Fine. Whatever. You do what you’re here to do. I can take care of myself.”

...If he’s made up his mind, there’s no point arguing about it  _ now _ . And no reason to make these people think they’ve shaken you. “Alright,” you say, nodding, “I’ll see you later.”

He waves, and lets two of the members escort him down the hall and around a corner. You wait a few seconds after he’s out of sight, in case you hear any sign of struggle, but there’s only footsteps slowly getting fainter. You turn and open the door.

Azuma sits at a desk, the room as bare as the rest of the building, apart from a few short bookshelves. He claps his hands together, and smiles in greeting. “Lady Amane, I am thrilled you’ve decided to join us,” he says, as you close the door behind you. There’s a chair sitting across from him. It almost feels like you’ve been called in to speak with the principal, and consider standing anyway. But being contrary for the sake of it won’t make this go any easier

“I said I would hear you out, and I intend to do so,” you say, taking your seat. “Do you have the evidence you promised?”

He holds up a hand. “First, allow me to explain the situation. Our first contact with Lady Aya was approximately eight months ago. We only worked with her for two of those months altogether, but her collaboration with us enabled massive progress.” He takes a small portable CD player from a desk drawer, and hits play. The sound of Aya’s voice rings out in the room - you recognize her from D.Va’s albums, despite the song being unfamiliar. And there’s no words to it, only a melody.

For a few seconds, you can’t help but just listen. There’s something in the song that makes your bones vibrate. Something more than simply passion. You feel yourself getting drawn into the rhythm, and have to tear your eyes from the machine back up to Azuma before you can say, “You say ‘collaboration’ - but what did she do? Surely not just sing.”

He chuckles, just a little. “That  _ was  _ it, actually. Lady Aya had a very unique power; when she sang, could create a space where demons could cross over into this world. She had no control over what sort of demon she summoned, but...” Finally, he hits the stop button on the machine, and lets the silence linger before smiling. “Her songs, her voice, were instrumental in completing the COMP’s programming.”

The past week, you’ve found, has broadened your mind considerably on what is and isn’t possible. You don’t argue the logistics. Instead, you ask the real quesiton, “How on earth did you get her to agree on this?”

He holds him hands out, almost like a shrug. “We didn’t have to do anything. Once we told her what we were planning, she was perfectly willing to help. She believed that joining the world of demons with our own would lead to a better future for all of mankind... her passion was admirable, if naive.”

“But if she worked with you that briefly - what happened six months ago?”

“You’ve already noticed the demon residing in Lady Tanekawa, of course.” You nod. “Lady Aya used her song, in conjunction with Kazuya Minegishi’s program, to summon Jezebel for our maiden. But when the rift opened between our world and the demons’... she leapt inside.”

For just a second, your breath still. “Then-”

“Yes. That woman no longer exists in this world. I doubt very much if she’s even still alive. But it was by her own hand - we played no part in it.” He eyes you carefully. “And you certainly won’t be finding her here, no matter how hard you search.”

Trying to grab some measure of control over the conversation, you put as much ice into your voice as possible and say, “All I have to go off of is your word. Do you really expect me to believe that alone?”

“Oh, there were quite a few witnesses - nearly everyone who worked with Kazuya personally would have seen. It’s her songs in the COMPs files that enable the summoning, as well.” He smiles. “Well, I suppose you have a few hours to ask them yourself. I’ll have those who were present sent to your room. You may find them more convincing.”

You do not move. “My room?”

As if he hadn’t heard you at all, he stands and says, “The Founder is a man of great conviction, as we both know. He’s not about to change his mind simply by my word.” There's an impulse to get to the door, before he can cut you off, but it’s drowned out by the certainty that there’s no point. It’s more important to not show any kind of hesitation or doubt, even to move from the chair. You’re in his territory, in your father’s territory, and losing composure means losing, period. “I’m so glad that you agreed to bring along your ‘friend’, Lady Amane. I knew no demon could overpower your will. You truly  _ are _ the only one who could be His Majesty’s vessel.”

When the door opens, there’s at least four other members waiting. Your escorts, you suppose. Even as you try to think, to figure out how long it’s been and how much longer until Loki and Haru make their move, you feel almost amused. That’s twice the number they gave the ‘demon’.

“It is for the best, you understand,” he says, “No other Bel can hope to stand against His Majesty. And once He has won the throne, this ordeal will be a thing of the past.”

It’s not a statement that even deserves an answer. Before anyone can move to touch you, you stand on your own, and follow them out on your own. And despite everything, you’re not worried about whether or not  _ you _ can get out. You’re too busy regretting that you let Naoya take a step in here.


	34. Day 5, part 5

“Hold still,” you say, even but firm, as you put a hand against the woman’s arm. The bullet wound is bad, obviously, but it’s not worse than some you’ve seen from claws or teeth or magic. She sobs softly as the Diarahan settles in, mending muscle and flesh.

“Thank you, Lady Yuzu...”

As the color comes back to the follower’s face, you try to ask her, “Tell me, if you can - what exactly did they say?”

“Th-they said... they were going to kill everyone who was using a COMP,” she sniffs and brushes her hair back, trying to regain her composure as the pain fades. “These soldiers... they’d been thrown into the Lockdown after picking up some COMPs themselves, and they think they can leave if they do so.”

‘ _It is as we feared_ ,’ Remiel says, his mournful words echoing in your mind, ‘ _Humanity falls so quickly to temptation. A week truly is all that can be spared..._ ’

...It’s not that you don’t understand what he means. But it’s not exactly encouraging to hear right now, and it certainly won’t comfort this woman. So you just give her a small nod. “Thank you. I’ll make sure to inform the Founder. We’ll need everyone to be even more careful with the SDF acting so aggressively.”

She nods, now looking much more her old self. The two of you are about to leave your room, when another member comes running in, out of breath and not even bothering to ask permission.

“L-Lady Yuzu-” He says, stumbling closer but not quite daring to touch you. “Master Azuma - I overheard him, just a few minutes ago-”

You’d like to take a step back, but fight the urge and simply hold up a hand instead. “Calm down, it’s alright,” you say, “What is it?”

He takes a few breaths, and more steadily says, “It’s- it’s Amane Kuzuryuu. She and a friend of her’s have been brought to the building. Master Azuma wants her to resume her position here.” He stares at you, eyes wide. “She’s a traitor - she must be planning something. Tricking Master Azuma. You have to-”

“Which friend did she bring?”

It comes out sharper than you meant, and he jumps a little before saying, “Naoya Minegishi. But that’s-”

You feel the distinct beginning of a headache, and take a moment to grind your teeth before saying, calmly, “Where is he, right now?”

“I... I believe he was brought to Lady Aya’s old workroom.”

You nod, quietly, and then turn to the woman you helped. “Let Acolytes Chihiro and Tae know. Have them meet me there.”

She nods and is out of the room before you can finish saying to the other follower, “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll deal with this quickly.”

“Alright...” he pauses, and adds, “Lady Yuzu, I... I heard something else.”

“What was it?”

“I- I’m not saying I believe it, but... some rumors are going around that... that His Majesty isn’t God. He’s a demon.” You don’t answer him right away, and he stiffens and asks, now starting to reach and grasp your sleeve, “It Is true, then? Has the Founder really been- all this time- has he really...”

“Whatever the Founder is planning,” you say, calmly and with as much conviction as you can muster, “I promise, I will not let this ordeal end in failure. For now, just focus on getting more information.”

He nods, gratitude plain on his face, and you step past him to head out to the hall. You have to bite back a groan. More and more members have been figuring out this truth - especially those who helped Kazuya build the COMPs. Some of them have fled, but more have started clinging to you even harder. You’ve been working more closely with them, and you’re supposed to be the voice of God. Seems like they’ve decided to trust that, if they can’t trust the Founder.

‘ _You’ve been managing wonderfully, Yuzu Tanekawa,_ ’ Remiel says. ‘ _Many of your race may be weak, but they regret such mistakes. They hold on to hope and seek out good to correct them. A leader who can show them the right way is all that they need.’_ ’

You’ve heard the gist of this speech before, and it definitely beats his earlier remarks, so you just nod and hurry towards the work rooms.

You don’t even have to get close to know Naoya’s in there. You can hear him moving around inside - and knocking things over, from the sound of it. There’s a member waiting outside as a guard, who seems awfully unhappy about it.

“Ah - Lady Yuzu,” he says, eyes shifting to the door anxiously, “I’m sorry, he’s quite a bit more... energetic than expected.”

Doesn’t sound like he knows you weren’t in on this. You shake your head. “It’s alright. I was sent to speak with him. I may be able to relieve some of his fears.”

“Ah - wonderful. If anyone can, it’s you.” He beams, and steps aside, letting you enter the room.

Sure enough, it’s practically torn open from top to bottom. Sheet music is everywhere, as well as other papers covered in notes and scribbles. Naoya’s halfway through tearing another drawer apart when he looks over his shoulder at you and glowers.

“What the _hell_ -”

You cut him off by firmly shutting the door. “Quiet,” you hiss, crossing the room to kneel next to him, “What were you thinking, coming here?”

“That’s none of your business,” he snarls. You could strangle him.

“Of course it’s my business! How do you expect me not to get involved when you show up here out of the blue?”

“Well you’re not telling us anything _useful_ , why shouldn’t we-” He closes his mouth and shakes his head. “No, I’m not talking to you about this.”

“Fine, whatever.” You rub at your forehead, feeling the threads of anger starting to wrap around you and needing a moment to force them away. “But getting you out’s going to be complicated.”

“You don’t need to; I’m not leaving until I get what I came here for.”

“And that is?” At his disbelieving stare, you have to elaborate, “If it’ll get you out of here quicker, and is within reason, I’ll help you.”

“... The server for the COMPs. I want to see it.”

Now it’s your turn to stare. “That’s not here.”

He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, knew you wouldn’t tell me-”

“Naoya Minegishi,” you grab his arm, close to his wrist, and put as much emphasis into your voice, “I have never lied to you, and I’m not starting now. The server isn’t in this building.”

His eyes flicker, and despite his carefully held glare you see doubt seeping in. “Then where the hell is it? Don’t tell me it’s outside the circle...”

“In... a manner of speaking.” He opens his mouth, no doubt to start arguing again, and you hold up a hand. “Look. I don’t know how much you already know, and getting it cleared up will take too long. Let me get you out of here first, and then we’ll talk.”

When he doesn’t answer, you look up at his face and almost feel offended by the disbelief all over it. “And why the hell should I trust you?”

“Because,” you hiss despite yourself, “Maybe I don’t want the Messiah stuck in a closet until judgment day.”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Fine! Candidate, then.” You look over your shoulder at the door. “Do you know where Amane was taken?”

“No...” He looks away, crossing his arms anxiously. “As soon as she went into that Azuma guy’s office, they dragged me off here.” He looks up at you. “Do they know...? About the whole Bel thing?”

You shake your head. “Few of the members even know about who the Founder worships. Azuma likely does, but I doubt he’s shared that information with anyone.”

“...In that case, why are you trying to get me out of here?”

You blink, slowly, and feel Remiel step forward in your mind. “Because, dear child, it is not Kuzuryuu who I follow.”

He stares at you, and you blink slowly, feeling the angel recede again. Outside the door, you hear new voices. “Nevermind, we can talk about that afterwards.” You open it, and see Chihiro and Tae waiting. “I’m glad you came so quickly. Help me move Minegishi to a safer location.”

“Are you sure? Master Azuma said-”

“It would be a problem, leaving him here alone. I will personally take him to Kazuya Minegishi’s old work space. He’ll be monitored properly there.”

The follower still looks hesitant, but when he sees the interior of the room, nods with anxious understanding. You gesture for Naoya to follow you, which he does, glaring at the other members appropriately and holding his bag close to him. All that’s left is to find Amane, and sneak them both back out. No problem.

You have a good idea of where Amane would’ve been taken. There’s only a few rooms that aren’t in use by the members these day, or being used for storage. Aya used to work in one, and Kazuya too.

As if you didn’t already have a clue, the four guards around her door would’ve given it away. It’s fairly transparent. Does Azuma think you’re blind...? No, you think with a tightening frown, he thinks you’re nothing at all but the Founder’s mouthpiece.

You glance back at him and catch his eye briefly, nodding towards the door and taking the lead. The followers are surprised to see you, and flat-out confused when they see Naoya following behind you. As they bow and greet you, you explain, “He’s insisting on seeing her. He doesn’t seem to believe we’ve left her unharmed.”

“Damn right I don’t,” he snarls, without missing a beat.

You allow the faintest of a smile, and say serenely, “It’s alright, I’ll be watching him closely. His Majesty’s power will not falter in the face of a young upstart. And it would be for the best if he cooperates of his own will.”

These four are much less eager to snap to your orders, but after a few seconds of uneasy glances, one of them nods. “Alright.” You wait for one of the others to protest, but no one moves at all, even when he unlocks the door and you step through with Naoya in tow.

Amane has not done any of the damage Naoya had, but there’s less to damage here. It’s bare, furnished only by a chair and bed. She looks up from pacing, and is only too startled to move for a moment, before darting for you. “What are you doing with him?”

“It’s alright, she’s helping,” he says, “How about you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m-” she puts a hand over her face and lets out a breath, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you come here, it was too much of a risk and all we did was waste-”

“Hey, don’t say that. I found a few useful things where I was kept.” He says, a small smirk flickering as he pulls some papers out from his bag.

You narrow your eyes. “When did you...?”

He rolls his eyes as Amane takes them to look over. “Are you seriously gonna complain about a few missing notes?”

Well... “No, I suppose it’s fine. They can’t do any harm without the server.”

Amane glances over at you briefly, but says nothing. She just hands the papers back to Naoya. “Good work. We can talk about them later, with the others.”

He nods, and then looks at you expectantly. “So, what’s your big plan, Miss Maiden?”

You give him as flat a look as you can. Remiel reminds you patience is a virtue. “I assume neither of you have your COMPs?” They shake their heads. “Well, I have mine. It might be a bit of a stretch, but I can summon something and-”

Just then, the building rattles. From the floor below, you hear crashing and shouts.

“Oh, look at that, Amane,” Naoya says, “Guess they got sick of waiting already.”

You turn to ask what they’re talking about, but from the small smile on Amane’s face and Naoya’s smug look, you can already guess. The noise jumps from below to above, and then again just on the other side of the back wall. One of the guards throws the door open, “Lady Yuzu, we’re under attack! Please, follow me-”

“I’m alright,” you assure him, “Leave these two to me. I’ll bring them somewhere safe. You four, hurry and report to Azuma.” This time, no one waits to be told twice. All four bolt, while a Pendragon rampages down the hall unsupervised, until it just as suddenly vanishes before you.

You’d like to ask them if their friends couldn’t have found a way that wouldn’t destroy the building, but you don’t want to waste any time. “Follow me,” you say instead, and lead them down the corridor. Concrete and bricks have been thrown everywhere, but however you listen, the source of destruction keeps randomly jumping around. Where is Tae, or Chihiro? You can’t afford to try and catch one of their friends personally, you have to focus on getting these two away.

And you’re too high up here, anyway. You take them down to the stairwell (and distinctly hear Naoya groan “These again?” behind you), and try to make your way to a lower level despite the rattling.

The door below opens, and Tae is halfway up the stairs before she realizes she’s almost run into you. “Lady Yuzu! I thought you might need help-”

“I do,” you say, and place your hands on her shoulders. “Try to speak to the intruders. Let them know their friends are already out. That should settle this safely.”

She nods, vehemently, and makes way for you to run down another level and out into the hall with Amane and Naoya. There’s enough damage already, no one’s going to notice. You head for the back wall, and hit it with a Ziodyne. It’s a big enough hole for even Naoya to fit through, tall as he is. With a quick jerk of your head, you slip outside.

Obviously, you’re not just going to hang around the perimeter. Once you’re sure they’ve gotten out too, you lead them through the trees. It’s only a few rows before they break back open into streets and more buildings, but anyone looking out won’t be able to see through them. “Alright... this should be far enough,” you say, but glancing backwards just to be safe. Sure enough, no one’s following. Over the tops of the trees, you can see a window on the second floor from the top break outwards, and you can see shapes moving around inside, but so far neither Loki or Haru are coming out.

“Alright, now, explain yourself,” Amane asks, stepping into your line of vision, “If you’re already going against the Shomonkai, then why not just turn your information to the SDF? With the whole government working on it, we could-”

“Because-!” Your temper surges, and almost snaps, in that one word... and then you force it back down, leaving only a deep weariness in it’s wake. You don’t want to run around this issue anymore. “Because they already know. They know almost everything I could tell them, and _this_ is what they decided to do.” You cross your hands in front of you, a kind of calm in speaking this out loud. “You can ask them yourself, if you want, but I already know telling them anything else won’t do any good.”

Naoya asks, “...Because of the angels?”

“Yes.” Remiel steps forward without warning, almost stunning you with how quickly you recede. “As Lady Yuzu has expressed, I too believe it is time we spoke more directly, Naoya Minegishi. I am Metatron’s subordinate, the archangel, Remiel.”

You’re vaguely aware of the two teenagers running towards you three, but Remiel doesn’t react to them. He’s focused entirely on Naoya.

“What the hell are you guys thinking?” Naoya asks, “How can you justify ordering this kind of thing?”

Remiel blinks slowly, and you feel no surprise at the question. “There have always been demons in this world, and humans who are weak to temptation. But this - what you’re seeing now - is a new, and very disturbing, development.” He raises an arm and sweeps it out. “Mankind has allowed itself to fall and allowed demons to spread over the world that He entrusted to them. If events continue like this, humanity will fall into chaos and destruction from which there is no salvation. So Our Father, in his endless mercy and love, chose to place an ordeal on mankind.” He smiles. “Be not afraid. If you succeed, then you will be forgiven completely.”

The other girl, with the pretty green eyes you can just barely see on your peripheral, asks, “And if we don’t?”

“Then we shall return to this world, and guide it back to its correct course. We would not allow humanity to destroy itself in such a way.” A pause, and you feel Remiel pushing through his reluctance to be sincere. “Though free will allows for great risks. If mankind proves itself completely irredeemable... then His only option would be to annihilate them.”

“But how is this suppose to judge anything?” Naoya asks, “Of course people are gonna try to find a way to protect themselves from demons! COMPs are their best bet; do you really believe that anyone who picks one up is doing something wrong? Hell, not everyone even knew what they’re capable of - we sure didn’t.”

“You misunderstand. I am simply stating consequences,” Remiel says, “The spread of COMPs enables the spread of demons. And demons will corrupt and devour humanity if left unchecked. Is Kazuya not proof of that?” Naoya flinches - no, it’s more than that. He wavers on his feet like he’s been slapped. “Your bright and beloved brother has consorted with demons and debased himself completely. Without their influence, he would never have even dreamed of a creation such as these COMPs. That is why humanity needs its Messiah. It’s why _he_ needs you to be one to him.”

And though his tone is no less bitter, he speaks much more quietly when he spits out, “And if I don’t, we’re all enslaved or dead, yeah?”

“I am afraid if the ordeal fails, there’s nothing anyone can do to stop His judgement. For God to lose his beloved children to demons is unthinkable. Stepping in to save you is His only option.”

“But... the whole world...” Haru rubs at her arm, “Can you seriously judge the whole planet by what happens here? Isn’t that unfair? This city’s such a small part of it.”

“Humans are the same everywhere. They have the same weaknesses, and the same potential.” Remiel tilts your head, honestly confused, “Surely you would not prefer we allow demons to roam the entire world, simply to test the reactions?”

“That’s not what I mean-”

“Our Father is infinite in his wisdom,” Remiel says, “This was what he deemed necessary, and so it is.” He looks at Naoya through your eyes, and the sorrow practically drowns you. “Dear son of God, have you not learned anything? Has all this time truly only hardened your heart further?”

Naoya stares at him for a second, then looks away. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Do you truly believe that?” Remiel points to him, stepping closer. He doesn’t move away himself, but he still won’t look up. “Mankind is weak. It is foolish, and selfish, and prideful. This, you know. You have seen it in those around you, and felt it deeply in yourself. You would walk a road to ruin with both eyes open and yet have the audacity to be surprised at where you end up.” You expect him to snap back, to argue, but he doesn’t. He keeps his eyes down, his grip on his bag tight and still. Remiel relents a bit, then. “And yet... there is potential. A precious piece holding compassion and faith, that knows what I say is true and understands.” He’s still not moving. You don’t think he’s even breathing, he’s so still. Remiel smiles, gently, and says, “All that remains is which part mankind chooses to listen to. Will you allow your selfishness to damn this world? Or will you obey your better nature, and let us nurture it?”

He still doesn’t speak. You... almost want him to. To talk back, to get angry like he usually does. Being this quiet makes him look strange and somehow young. You really... don’t like seeing him like this.

It’s Loki who winds up answering instead, grinning in an unpleasant way as he slings an arm around Naoya’s shoulder. “So what you’re saying is, you’re holding the whole world hostage unless he joins you? Isn’t that text-book supervillainy?”

Remiel blinks. “Of course not. His will is his own. If mankind can remove all the demons in the Lockdown with their own power, then naturally their answer would be respected. I am simply stating what God wishes of his child, and warning of the consequences.”

Naoya finally shifts, then, and he looks up to ask, “Then there _are_ other options?”

You’re surprised too, if you’re honest. Remiel made it sound so far like there was only one safe way out for everyone. And you’re even more surprised by the short, final answer he gives.

“Yes. But they are for you to find, not for me to tell you.”


	35. Day 5, part 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, everyone! I'll do my best to get as many chapters done as possible before the next semester starts. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

What you pass on to Keisuke isn’t all that encouraging. But there’s very few ways to frame ‘your friend jumped into a demonic portal a few months ago’ in a positive light. You’re just glad Midori wasn’t there with him - you suck at dealing with crying, and you just know she would have. 

And of course on top of that, there’s no real evidence to pin her disappearance on the Shomonkai. Oh, sure, Amane's recording caught some of Aya's singing, and the notes Naoya stole prove she worked with them. Keisuke confirmed easily enough that they’re all in her hand-writing. But being an accomplice to their plans doesn’t mean she was killed by them, and if you’re taking the Shomonkai at their word, there was nothing they could have done to stop her. And they do claim a lot of eye witnesses. Maybe they could be held accountable for workplace negligence? Not especially satisfying. 

Still, Keisuke thanks you all and takes the recorder. He doesn’t ask for Aya’s notes. “I’ll... pass this information along to Midori,” he says, the flat look in his eyes betraying his attempts at conviction, “And I’ll keep trying to find something more concrete on them. I’m not going to just give up here.” 

More power to him, but frankly you’ve all got bigger things to worry about. Amane asks him, gently, about Shoji, and he agrees that she’s still planning to meet up with you as planned. Which leaves you four with the job of nabbing that weedy hacker guy from the demon’s lair. 

...Sure, Naoya said it just looked like a regular apartment, but where’s the fun if you can’t embellish a little?

Though as you head over... well, it’s not that you expect Naoya to be ecstatic or anything after that whole little mission, but he’s definitely too quiet for comfort. He seems distracted. Or rather, from the stiff set of his jaw and shoulders, extremely focused - just on something he’s not sharing. Taking a guess, you sling an arm over his shoulder and say, “Hey, don’t worry so much. We’ve still got time to figure out some other way outta here. Worst comes to worst, we can always just charge the barricade. Bet we could actually make it, with the demons we have now.”

Amane responds before he can. “That's not very funny,” she says, glancing at you with disapproval sharp enough to sting, “You know we can’t do that. It won’t solve the problem of the demons at all, there’s no way the angels would take that as a real solution.”

“Maybe I don’t care what  _ they  _ think is a good answer to this,” Naoya finally says, “They shouldn’t have forced this stupid ordeal on us in the first place.”

“Naoya-” She starts, then closes her mouth, lips tight as she weighs whether or not the fight’s gonna be worthwhile. You guess the ticking clock’s getting to her, because this time she keeps going. “This isn’t just about you, or us, or even this city. It’s about all of humanity. We  _ can’t  _ just run away from it.”

He jerks out of your grip to stare at her. “What, so you  _ agree  _ with them?”

“I didn’t say that - however you look at it, the lockdown is being handled terribly.” She looks away, brushing some hair behind her ear. “I could understand trying to contain the demons, but if that’s all they were after, there’s no excuse for the lack of supplies, or any kind of method for allowing people without COMPs to evacuate. But,” she continues, grey eyes turned steel, “It’s unquestionable that the COMPs are extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. They allow anyone to summon a demon, with hardly any effort at all. They have to be contained somehow.”

“Well, sure,” he says, “But that’s totally different from putting all of humanity on trial for it!”

“And I don’t disagree, but the fact is, we  _ are _ . And we can’t just ignore that to do whatever is easiest for  _ us _ . It’d be irresponsible, and put the whole world at risk.”

You exchange a glance with Haru. She jerks her head in there direction and raises an eyebrow at you, like she thinks you can do something to calm them down. But right now, you’re pretty sure the two of them have forgotten either of you are there.

Naoya stops short. “...You think I should do what they want, then?” He doesn’t have Amane’s carefully composed neutrality, but what tight, hard feeling is seeping into his voice and shoulders, you don’t know how to read. You don’t recognize it.

Amane looks at him for a long second, and then turns away to keep walking. “I just think that their offer should be taken seriously,” is all that she says, “At the very least, it should be considered for a last resort, instead of out of the question.”

...You don’t like how Amane puts it, and you like less how Naoya doesn’t really react. He didn’t say much of anything when Yuzu was going on her whole spiel either. It’s... frustrating. You don’t understand why he keeps folding like this instead of standing firm. It’s obvious he hates the whole idea, but by the end of these arguments, all his conviction just turns into guilt.

But... you don’t say anything either. 

You’re not like Amane. That much is obvious. You don’t care about the vague concept of ‘people’ as a whole - even less than Naoya. Sure, these days you actually put out a little effort to keep it in check, but that doesn’t change that you really wouldn’t care if the whole world went up in flames, as long as you and your friends had a safe spot to watch it burn.

You wanna tell Naoya that whatever he decides, you’ll be on his side. And that, frankly, you don’t think he  _ should  _ give up his life for this world. It’s not his job to be a barometer for all of humanity - that’s stupid. He’s just one person. Aren’t the differences between him and Amane enough to drive that point home?

But you know what you’re like, and you know that  _ they  _ know what you’re like too. And if he’s already feeling guilty for thinking along those lines, you’re pretty sure saying you think it’s a good idea is only gonna make it worse.

 

* * *

Unfortunately, Atsuro’s apartment turns out to be just that. An apartment. Not an especially big one either, and you didn’t catch sight of any incense or pentagrams from the doorway. Maybe he’s just hiding them. 10Bit seems a little more enthusiastic than yesterday, and his eagerness to get going leaves you barely any time to snoop. Too bad.

Shoji’s happy to see him, at least. You wouldn’t have expected these two to know each other - in fact, they don’t really act like friends. As soon as you re-introduce them, they cluster off and start muttering privately. You’d like to inch over and listen better, especially with Naoya and Amane being so tense with each other. They haven’t really spoken to each other since their squabble, and you can’t think of a way to lighten the mood. After all, trying to was what set Amane off last time.

Before you can settle on what you’re gonna do, though, Shoji and 10Bit finish their discussion and come back to the whole group. She asks, tapping her pen against her chin, “So, any of you kids up for a little bodyguard work?” She explains she’d been interviewing Izuna yesterday, but had to cut things short due to an untimely arrival of demons. Since she didn’t get to finish, and 10Bit has his own questions, they want you four to go along and clear the area for them. “And,” she says, smiling “In case things go south with the soldiers, you can help get us retreat.”

Amane frowns. “You think they’ll attack you?”

“I’m not ruling it out,” 10Bit says, the determination on his pale face matched only by his blatant anxiety, “I think our government’s already proven itself willing to resort to anything.”

No one says anything to that, and in the silence you can hear faint cries, both human and otherwise, echoing in the air. You all agree to help them out.

On the way over, Shoji and 10Bit continue to try and catch each other up, and a frosty silence lingers between Amane and Naoya. It’s killing you to put up with, but you still don’t know what you’re supposed to do about it. So, you do nothing, and instead take the opportunity to pull Haru aside. “Hey,” you say, “What do you think of all this?”

She blinks. “‘All this’?” But one pointed look at your not-talking friends, and she gets what you mean. She shrugs. “Doesn’t really matter what I think, does it?”

“C’mon, of course it does.” You grin. “ _ I _ wanna know, so it matters to me.” And sure, she snorts at you, but it makes her smile for a couple of seconds.

“Well... I mean, I get what Amane means,” she finally says, rubbing the back of her head. “These COMPs are dangerous. Even people who mean well can do a lot of damage with them. Getting rid of them is definitely what we have to do. But... all this stuff about Naoya...” She glances at the back of his head, brow furrowing. “I guess mostly, it doesn’t make sense why it’s all on him. If humanity needs a messiah like Remiel says, shouldn’t they be looking for someone who wants the job?”

“Seriously,” you say, grinning at hearing it from someone else, “It’s messed up, right? If you ask me, these angels are the shiftiest ones in the Lockdown, hand’s down.”

For a second, she just looks up at you. “...Have you told Naoya you think that?”

You blink, grin easing down into a kind of smirk. “C’mon, like that’s gonna help him any.”

“And what’s  _ that  _ mean?”

“You’re new here, so maybe you haven’t noticed,” you say, waving a finger, “But I’m not a great source of advice on that kinda thing. Trust me, it’s better for all of us that I stay out of it.”

Haru hums, clearly unconvinced. “Maybe I’m new, but it’s obvious how close you three are. He cares about you a lot - you and Amane.” You don’t know where you should keep your eyes, when she says that. Looking at her feels awkward. Looking at either of them is even worse. You try to settle for the space in between them. And very deliberately, you  _ do not _ think about what happened with Beldr. Or the way Naoya looked at you afterwards. “And I think he’d want to know how you feel about something this big, especially if it’s worrying you.”

You laugh. “Please, I’m not  _ worried _ .”

But it’s clear from one glance that she’s utterly unconvinced. Fortunately, before she can say anything else, Shoji calls out, “There it is!” and waves a hand towards the tunnel. Sure enough the place is crawling with them. She takes a few quick steps behind your group, and gives you a light nudge. “Well, go on. You’re the big-shots here, protect us.”

You give Haru a quick glance, then smile and shrug, and pull out your COMP. Good, that conversation was going nowhere you’d enjoy fast. At least Naoya and Amane’s tiff doesn’t seem like it’s gonna carry over to the battlefield. He calls out suggestions to her, and she listens easily. That’s good. If they’re still willing to listen to each other, then it can’t get  _ that  _ bad. You’re sure of it.

A lot of the demons around the place look like either Kudlak’s followers, or the same species. Fighting them isn’t hard; you’re all used to it by now, and these things aren’t anything special. It’s just that there’s a lot of them, and it’s gonna take time. And the longer it takes, the more likely-

“Hey, it’s those kids-!”

Yyyep. Figures Izuna was gonna hear. And considering Shoji wanted to speak with her, that wouldn’t usually be a problem, but it looks like she brought someone along with her this time. An older guy in the same uniform, with absolutely zero indication he’s got a sense of humor. Bad enough, and  _ then  _ you notice Izuna’s got a COMP in her hand. You’re closest, so you figure you should probably say something, but Izuna just shouts, “Don’t worry, we’re coming to help!” And then a light flashes in front of her. A Babd Catha spreads its wings out in front of her, glancing around the devastated street.

“It worked-!” Izuna says, a spark of triumph in her eyes, “We’ll finally be able to combat the demons!” She points past it, towards the battle, and shouts, “I command you, demon! Save those humans!” 

The bird shakes out it’s wings and turns back towards her. “ _ Are you the one who summoned me, woman?” _ Then in one big pump of its wings, it takes flight, beak open in the mockery of a grin, _ “If I kill you, I’ll have my freedom... _ ”

“What?” She says, too stunned to draw her weapon, “I summoned you! Why aren’t you obeying me?” But the Babd Catha doesn’t bother with banter, and just swoops towards her, talons bared.

This is getting painful to watch. You blast a Zandyne at the bird with the help of your Abbadon, and fend it off long enough to shout over, “It’s not gonna listen to you that easily! You have to beat it first.”

“Beat it? Why on earth-” It shrieks out another caw, and she shakes her head. “No, nevermind why for now. Will our weapons even have any effect?”

“Sure! Just shoot the thing!”

“V-Very well,” the other soldier says, readying his own rifle, “You have my support, Captain! We’ll bring this demon into submission.”

You keep an eye on them; not that you have much choice, since the other three are busy, and you’re already here anyway. But one Babd Catha isn’t much of a match for those two, especially after getting hit by your own attack earlier. It doesn’t take long before Izuna’s allowed the finishing shot and knocks it to the ground for good. She’s pretty handy with that rifle - good thing you guys didn’t test her luck last time.

The oversized crow picks itself back up, with some effort. “ _ Human... you have potential.”  _ It looks at her, and what expression you can pick up on seems more amused than anything,  _ “The contract is sealed. You shall have my power. I am the wings of the battle, Babd Catha. You will see the brilliance of my dark pinions. _ ”

In a flash of light, it disappears, and the COMP in her hands pings. Not that it matters much to the battle as a whole, since it’s already wrapping up. All that’s left are a few stragglers too stubborn to notice the tide’s turned against them. To Izuna and the other guy’s credit, they do  _ try  _ to actually contribute, but it’s kinda too little too late.

And pretty much the second that the area’s clear, Shoji stands from her and 10Bit’s hiding spot behind an overturned car, dusts off her pants, and waltzes right up to the pair of soldiers. “Okay, since we’ve helped you out, I think we deserve a continuation to our last conversation.”

Izuna stares at her, almost as confused as she’d been by her Babd Catha’s attack. “‘We’? You didn’t do anything. It was these kids who-”

“And they’re with us. So where should we start?” Shoji says, pulling out her notebook, “How about with your name, sir?”

The other soldier frowned, and his grip on his rifle didn’t change. “I’m afraid everything is on a need to know basis. We cannot reveal any-”

10Bit bristles, and opens his mouth, but it’s Izuna who interrupts. “Commander Fushimi, isn’t there any way we can enlist their help?” You blink,  “I have spoken with this woman before, briefly. She proven herself trustworthy and refrained from spreading information carelessly. And with all due respect, Sir...” She looks at you, and then the rest of your team, “It’s obvious from that battle that their power far exceeds our own. They’re skilled with their COMPs, and they know much more about the demons than we do. Wouldn’t it be best for us all to ask for their assistance?”

The soldier shifts, looking a little uneasy to you. “I’ll concede the point. But... we can’t ask for help from civilians.”

“Why? Would it hurt our pride as an elite special unit?” She faces him fully, standing straight and unflinching, “Commander, I volunteered for this to save Tokyo and the lives of its citizens. Not to protect the unit’s honor! If there’s glory to be had here, it’s in success, no matter how we achieve it!”

Oh damn, she’s  _ cool _ .

Fushimi seems to agree, considering it takes a moment for him to react, and when he does he’s got a small smile on his face. “Hmph, it seems you’ve grown quite a backbone.”

“Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Sir. Once the mission is complete, I’ll attend-”

“I’m leaving you in charge here. Give these civilians whatever they need to know.” He pats her on the shoulder, surprising her into meeting his eyes. “You’re acting on my orders. I’ll take full responsibility. The rest is up to you...”

She gasps, eyes wide. “Commander Fushimi...”

“Captain Izuna! Get it done! That’s an order.” And with a quick salute, he heads back into the tunnel.

For a moment, she’s still too stunned to do anything but watch him go. Then she turns back to the six of you, and says, “Very well, you heard the Commander. We can talk - come with me, I have something important to tell you.”

“What’s wrong with talking out here?” 10Bit asks.

“It’s too dangerous with the demons around,” she says, “And I don’t want to be overheard.” She looks at all of you, eyes sharp. “I shouldn’t have to repeat myself, but everything I say will be held in strictest confidence. Understood?”

“Sure thing,” Shoji says, before anyone else gets a say. Then she looks at your team. “Well, c’mon. I’d rather not go in there alone, if you get what I mean.”

You look to Naoya, who notices you and gives a small shrug and nods to follow Izuna as she turns and heads inside. Well, if things go wrong, you guess you’ll still have Izuna outnumbered four-to-one whether you’re in a tunnel or not. 

Izuna leads your group down the tunnel, through an iron door leading out into a subway. You make a mental note that when this is all over, you’ll have to post to the forum that the rumors about the highway and subway being linked are true.

“What I’m about to say violates the Official Secrets Act,” Izuna says once you’re all filed in, “So I’m afraid it’ll have to be vague. If you disclose this to anyone, you will face severe retribution by the government.”

“If it’s that important, are you sure you want to tell us?” Amane asks, “You must be aware of Miss Shoji’s profession.”

“I am,” Izuna says, looking at Shoji briefly, “But as I’ve said, she’s proven herself capable of knowing when to keep secrets, and when not to.”

Shoji nods. “Then let’s get started. This lockdown began when you first discovered demons, correct?” 

“Yes. We knew that they were being summoned by COMPs, and that the COMPs were being developed by the Shomonkai. As soon as we learned of a date they all planned to congregate, the lockdown was put in place.” Izuna shakes her head, looking down. “The government panicked, and had to enact it without any real countermeasures. There was simply no time-”

“Was it really just them?” Naoya’s the one who interrupts, catching Izuna off-guard, “Sure you didn’t have some outside interference?”

“...If you’re asking that, then it sounds like you already know.” Izuna sighs, “Yes. There was some push to arrange the lockdown as soon as possible from another source.” She looks at you all for a long second, looking to consider her words carefully, and says, “We were told about the Shomonkai’s actions by the angels. And it was them who warned us of the consequences of leaving the demons unchecked.”

Amane asks, “Did they order the lockdown itself?”

“No, that was the government’s choice. But... they made it clear that if nothing was done before the demons spread too far, they would take matters into their own hands.”

“And what about the UEM Field?” 10Bit asks, voice and face both tight, “Was that their decision, or the government’s?”

“How did you know-” Izuna starts to say, then looks at you whole group, from one person to the next, “Do all of you... know about that?”

“Never mind how,” you say, “We know, and that’s all you’ve gotta worry about.”

Her whole demeanor shifts, from professional and candid to wary and cornered, “No one can know about that, do you understand?”

“Oh, I know,” Shoji says, waving a hand, “Gotta keep your secrets for the good of the people, right?” The too-casual way she says it puts Izuna further on edge.

“We’re barely managing to hold the lockdown together as is,” Izuna says, almost a snarl, “And the deadline we have is already stretching our manpower and resources to its limits. If everyone finds out what the government’s planning and try to escape, then they’ll have no choice but to set it off early.”

“It’s not even going to work,” Naoya finally has to burst out with, “We’ve already seen at least one demon that would be immune to its effects! And trust me, you’re not going to wanna wipe out everyone capable of fighting them if anything as strong as  _ that  _ is still around.”

Izuna glances to him, mouth tight and eyes burning. “But we have  _ no other choice _ . I don’t know how much you know about the angels, but they have made it clear to us all. If the lockdown fails, mankind will be deemed incapable of containing the demons, and they will have to step in. For the good of the country, of the whole world, we have to use every tool we have.”

10Bit says, flatly, “Even if that means murdering a city full of people?”

Just as flat, she answers, “Yes.”

What is there to say to that? You try to come up with some kind of joke to relieve the tension, but nothing comes to mind. No one else speaks either, until Izuna speaks, again, “Do you understand why there was a deadline at all? Why the government didn’t just use the UEM Field as soon as they learned of the risk?”

The question catches you by surprise. Amane says, almost gently, “Because they don’t want to use it. They want to find another way.”

“That’s right,” Izuna says, a little relieved, “And I, too, will do everything in my power to ensure it doesn’t come to that.” She looks at you all, eyes stopping on Shoji. “For that end, I need your help as well.”

For the first time, Shoji looks genuinely caught off-guard. “What, mine?”

Izuna nods. “By taking up this COMP, I’ve thrown my lot in with the people of the lockdown. But I know it’s not as simple as that... I’m still a soldier. After everything the people have experienced at our hands, they won’t trust me. Someone who’s been here the whole time may have better luck - especially if that someone’s a reporter claiming to investigate the lockdown.” She glances through the group quickly, before settling back on Shoji, “We’ve been monitoring the goings-on in the lockdown carefully. It seems like the Shomonkai’s numbers have been increasing.”

“Well, they’ve been doing a lot for people in the lockdown,” Haru says, “Protecting them, helping them when they get hurt... guess it’s no surprise.”

“But that leaves us with a serious problem,” Izuna says sharply, “The ‘Majesty’ the Shomonkai worship appears to be a demon named Belberith. Kuzuryu wanted to contact it to prepare for God’s ordeal, and he succeeded. But the power of gods and demons, from what we’ve learned, are affected by the number of their believers.”

“Then the Shomonkai exists to give Belberith more power,” Amane says, “And as more people join-”

“The stronger Belberith grows.” Izuna nods once, firmly, before turning back to Shoji. “ _ This _ information needs to be spread. That the Shomonkai are dangerous and deceitful. People need to be warned away, so as not to make the situation any worse.”

“And that’s what you want us to do for you? After everything your government has done to its people, just to keep its secrets-” 10Bit starts to say, voice trembling, but stops when Izuna glares at him.

“I’ve told you my position on the matter. The lockdown cannot fail. I’m trusting you all to do the right thing, and help to bring this ordeal to a safe end. And if you won’t... then we’re all going to die, one way or another.”

That pretty much concludes the conversation - apart from some more questions confirming what you already know, and Izuna reminding you all, again, that she’ll shoot you if you fuck up. That, though, you’ve started to find kinda amusing at this point. After everything else you’ve had to face, guns don’t really phase you. And so you’re all forced to retreat, even Shoji and 10Bit.

Even when you’re back out onto the street, though, you notice 10Bit is still shaking. And you start to realize it’s anger, not fear, that’s making him do so. “Even if everything she says is true-” he says, stopping once the tunnel is no longer in sight, “How can we possibly just trust the government to do what’s right when the threat is gone? After everything they’ve done - everyone they’ve killed- all in the name of ‘protecting this country’...” He frowns, and turns towards Naoya. “I’ve made up my mind. Whatever it takes, I’m going to reprogram the COMPs myself and banish the demons.”

That gets everyone’s attention. Naoya says, almost hushed, “What?”

The strain, the nerves, they’re wiped from 10Bit’s face as he starts pacing a little, ideas sparking from one to another. “I’m staying with Atsuro - he programmed them, so I can pump him for information, as much as possible. I - We can’t let the power of demons escape this lockdown. If soldiers are getting their hands on COMPs, then they government will have full access.” He looks frantic, but the determination shines through. “If we need to overcome God’s ordeal, then that’s the best way to do it. Reverse everything, make the COMPs useless, and then destroy the data that made their existence possible in the first place.”

Naoya just stares at him, like he can’t really believe what he’s hearing. Amane asks him, instead, “Are you sure you’re capable of that? We’ve only got a couple of days, and we don’t even know where the server is. You need that to reprogram them, correct?”

10Bit glances at her, and drops his eyes briefly. “It’s true, I don’t know if I can on my own... but,” he adds, looking Naoya in the eye, “If you don’t mind my saying, I think we could if we worked together. You were learning from Atsuro directly, and I’ve been his friend for some time. He’s shared some tricks with me. If the two of us work at it together, I’m sure we can crack his program wide open.”

And finally, for maybe the first time since this lockdown began, Naoya actually looks like he’s getting excited. “That... that could work.” A grin slowly starts inching across his face. “Ha, that could really actually work!” He whips his head towards Amane, triumphant. “See? This kind of plan’s just what we need!”

“I agree,” she says, looking relieved, “Though there’s still the matter of finding the server.”

“That’s fine, we can work on figuring that out,” Naoya says, turning back to 10Bit. “You find out everything you can from Atsuro. Steal his notes if you have to. We’ll find out where the server is, and how to get to it.”

10Bit nods, smiling as well. “Sounds like a plan,” he says, before hesitating and adding, more softly, “But... do be careful about it. Please. There’s a lot of danger here, especially if there’s more soldiers getting themselves trapped in here too.” Naoya nods, but he can’t get rid of the eager grin on his face. At that, Shoji pulls 10Bit away, saying she’d like to talk to him privately about a few things. You wave them off as your two groups split back up, while Naoya’s already starting walking away himself, still bristling with renewed energy.

“Ha, I knew that angel was full of shit.” He’s practically glowing, really. You’d known this was all weighing on him, but the sheer contrast between now and how he’d been just an hour ago really drives home how much. He looks over his shoulder at Amane. “And  _ you  _ wanted me to listen to that angel.”

“I never said he should be your first choice,” Amane says, sounding amused. “And I’m as glad as you are that we’ve got another plan. Just... I don’t think we should underestimate how difficult finding the server might be.”

You laugh. This is all such a goddamn  _ relief _ . “Please, if we can’t find it in two whole days, we deserve to get blown up. Fried. Whatever the field’s gonna do to us.”

Naoya smirks a little at you over his shoulder. You hadn’t realized how much you’re missed seeing that until now. “Seriously,” then, snickering a little, “God, I’d love to see the look on my cousin’s face, though. Undermining the whole program he and his friend masterminded and using it to stop them? That can’t be his plan.”

“Would you, now?”

Naoya freezes. You all do, though Haru a little belatedly. The sun’s starting to go down, and the shadows cast by the buildings are long. Kazuya’s dark clothes and hair blended into them perfectly. Even his blue eyes look black underneath them. As he steps out towards all of you, there’s his usual calm smile still on his face. 

“Well, I’ll grant you one thing,” he says, “You’re right, that’s not my plan at all.”


	36. Day 5, part 7

There’s nothing you can do about it. As soon as you see him, your head goes blank. Everything else blurs at the edges, and he’s all that’s still in focus. You don’t know if you’re breathing, you can’t really connect to your body, and there’s too many feelings - hard, painful feelings, each more overwhelming than the last - to pinpoint any one in particular.

Fortunately, you have a well-practiced default to fall back on.

In two, three strides, you close the distance, grab the front of his shirt, and started shaking him as you snarl out, “Where the hell have you  _ been _ , you bastard?”

He doesn’t even flinch. Of course. Of course he expects this. He knows you better than anyone, and he knew you’d react like this, probably from day one. And that just makes you even  _ angrier  _ (it’s anger, it has to be, you won’t let it be anything else), because if he knew, why would he do it at all?

“Didn’t Atsuro tell you?” He’s still calm and smiling, “I was staying at his apartment.”

“You  _ know  _ that’s not what I-” your voice cracks, and you snap your mouth shut. Any further and you don’t know what’ll happen, and you refuse to lose it in front of him. You won’t, you won’t, you-

Someone puts their hand on your shoulder. Amane. She only pulls at you gently, but you let her tug you away and put herself between you and your cousin. Your hands, you notice, are shaking as you let go of Kazuya. You try to hide them by crossing your arms and letting your jacket cover them. Calm  _ down _ , idiot.

Fortunately, Amane’s taken the reins on this conversation for now. “You have some gall,” she says, voice icier than you’ve ever heard it, “Showing up like this now.”

Kazuya just shrugs. “I promised Naoya I’d come to see you all today. I do try to keep my promises, you know.”

That gets a laugh from you, loud and harsh. “Oh gee, thanks. You got us all stuck in some kind of demon war without any warning, but at least you’ve got  _ some _ standards.”

“Oh, that’s a bit of a misunderstanding,” Kazuya says, still even, still smiling, “Nothing I did here got you involved in the War of Bel.”

“ _ You _ made the COMPs,” Amane says, standing between you two so as to eclipse you completely, “Even if Atsuro developed them,  _ you  _ were the one who brought them to the Shomonkai, despite knowing what they planned to do with them. If not for that, the angels would never have descended, and the lockdown wouldn’t be put in place. My father couldn’t have-”

“It’s certainly true that the COMPs were a convenient excuse for them to appear now. But the angels would have come eventually, regardless.” He tilts his head, almost smirking. “Surely you’re not going to blame  _ me _ for your father’s obsession? You of all people should know that long predates any involvement I had.” Amane’s shoulders tighten a bit at the statement, but she doesn’t deny it. “Even if I had never approached Kuzuryuu, he would have discovered another method to summon ‘His Majesty’ and brought the War of Bel into this world.”

But rather than deflect, she digs her heels in and pushes further, “Are you honestly trying to claim no responsibility at all? People are dying every day in here, at the hands of a weapon you made and allowed to spread.”

But rather than get pulled into her anger, he simply shakes his head. “No, not at all. I just want you to all understand the real context of what’s going on. I doubt very much anyone else is going to. Although,” he looks at Naoya, “I have to say, the story is quite personal, Naoya. If you would rather I speak to you privately about it, I’d be happy to do so.”

You have no idea what he could mean by that. You don’t. So, straightening as best you say, you look him in the eye and say, “Whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of everyone.”

He nods. “Alright then. Where should I start...” And then laughs, just a bit. “I’ve been trying to plan how to say this for ages, but it seems when the time comes, planning doesn’t do much good.” There’s something sad in the laugh, though his expression doesn’t change and his voice stays level. You don’t know if he let that much slip through accidentally, or as bait. Finally, he looks back up at you all and says, “I suppose I should start with this - I’ve known for a very, very long time about the War of Bel, and Naoya’s place in it specifically.” 

He’d already confirmed as much to you before, but now, with other people around to hear and know that you’d managed to be strung along by him your whole life, it still manages to sting. You don’t flinch, though, and just wait for him to continue. After a moment, he does, “And because you’re a candidate, it was always only a matter of time before one of the others came to try and win your piece, as soon as it was possible. Perhaps some would let it slide, but I doubt those like Beldr or Belberith would want even a human-tainted scrap of power floating around unaccounted for.”

“But how’d I even become a candidate, then? I didn’t- I didn’t do  _ anything _ .”

For a moment - and only a moment, if you didn’t know him so well you’d have missed it - he just watches you, looking like he’s weighing something. And then he says, “As near as I can tell, you earned your piece by killing a Bel, thousands of years ago.”

Loki’s the one who breaks the silence that falls then. A forced bark of a laugh, and, “Thousands of- what?”

And Kazuya’s still calm. Still even. Still so very still.

“You’re right, Naoya,” he says, “The person you are now didn’t do anything. The person you were did.”

“Would you just answer plainly?” Amane snaps.

“What? Is reincarnation really a step too far to believe?” He asks, raising an eyebrow, “You’ve already seen demons and angels, and even have confirmation of a God.”

You’re still trying to absorb what he’s saying. It’s not a matter of believing or not; the idea just doesn’t even feel real, it came so out of the blue. That should make it easy to dismiss, but... 

Amane’s the one who demands, “How would you even know, if that were the case?”

There, a shift in his smile. A crack of bitterness that shows his teeth. He places a hand over his heart, and speaks like he’s reciting, “Our loving Father blessed me with everlasting life and memory, all the way back in my first life. I can remember everything I’ve seen, from the beginning, even after all this time.” Then he blinks, and his eyes open back up fixed on you. “And I’ve seen you many times. You stand out quite a bit, I’m afraid.”

“Then it  _ was _ always about that,” you say, the words just falling out. You can’t help it, even if you’re angry. Even if you can’t really understand or believe what he’s talking about. He just admitted to only caring about you because of something that had nothing to do with  _ you _ . “Me being a candidate.”

“Naoya-” he takes a step, pausing only when Amane refuses to budge from in front of you. That seems to amuse him. The prick. “I said that wasn’t the case, and I meant it. It’s more that curse hanging off you - it made helping you a rather pressing issue.”

“Curse?” Loki asks, and you’re sure if he were a dog his ears would be pricked forward.

But you just feel tired at Kazuya’s continued insistence at word games and dodging the issue. “You’re still just talking about the whole Bel thing-”

“No, it’s not that. You’re brilliant, you must have noticed. Even if you haven’t wanted to admit it to anyone.” Your blood starts to run cold, and suddenly you know exactly what he’s talking about. “All those classmates who were injured - right after they hurt you. The reason the Diet building collapsed as soon as you were attacked by that cult. Did you really think that was all just coincidence?”

...You can’t answer him, because he was right. You’d always suspected those things were your fault, somehow, that they were right to be scared and to want you nowhere near them. You’d known it for so long, and now-

“It’s not just that either. The reason you’re looked at with so much suspicion, why people single you out so quickly, the isolation they drove you to...” Kazuya pauses. Again, that feeling that he’s holding something back, only to ease into another smile, and ask, “How could I not want to help you, when I saw it happen so many times?”

There’s no point in even trying to answer. Each word he says feels like it’s backing up your thoughts, clogging your ability to reason. Just focus on simple questions. See if you can catch him in a contradiction, that you can take as proof he’s bullshitting you. “Okay, then why am I even cursed?”

“Because of your actions, God chose to make you a scapegoat,” there’s no change in anything about him, but his words ring cold in spite of that, “And one lifetime’s worth of suffering, apparently, wasn’t enough to sate him.” 

“And what’s all of this supposed to do?” You push on, and the further you go the more your voice solidifies, to your relief, “If you’re trying to help me, why throw me in here where it’s all just getting worse?”

“Now that part’s simple.” He beams, putting his hands on his hips. “Just win the war of Bel and become the demons’ Overlord. Then you can kill the God who put you in this position - meaning no more curse, and no more jailer.”

“Oh, is  _ that  _ all?” Loki pipes in behind you.

Kazuya’s eyebrows raise. “You doubt he can? Or you don’t want him to? That’s a surprise, coming from you.”

“Don’t talk to him like that,” you snap, “And who says I even want to do any of that? You say it so easy, but Remiel keeps talking like I’m being watched, and if I did what you say-”

“You’d become a demon, yes.” You watch him, trying to understand him. But he just says, “Is that really so bad?”

“Do you think we’re blind?” Amane says, almost more incredulous than angry, “We’ve seen what happened to Yuzu. What you and my father  _ did to her _ . And now you think we’ll just let you do the same to Naoya?”

“That’s something entirely different. That’s possession. But this - you becoming King of Bel - would be a liberation.” His eyes start to light up as he talks, and his earnestness is so plain as to make him look nearly childish. “It’s a chance to take back control, Naoya. You can finally be really, truly free, after all this time.” And then he pauses. Eases back into his usual smile. And says, “Besides, you’ve seen what humans are like. Are demons really any worse?”

“I- I don’t know about all this, but what about the Lockdown?” Haru pipes up, “If the government is scared of the demons and the angels, would throwing a new demon king or whatever into the mix even help?”

Kazuya’s eyes flicker to her, and he shrugs. “The government just wants the demons gone - if Naoya becomes Overlord, he can order them all to leave. That should be good enough for them.”

She asks, still unconvinced, “And the angels?”

His smile widens a few notches. “Against an Overlord and his army, they’ll be a non-issue.”

“Or,” Amane says, “We can simply use another plan altogether to get rid of the demons. One that doesn’t rely on you or God.”

“You can,” he nods, easily enough, “But as I’ve said, this isn’t just about the Lockdown.” The smile finally fades, and he looks straight at you. You can’t do anything but meet his gaze. “Naoya, when this life is over, you’ll be born again, and you’ll forget everything. And then you’ll be born again after that, and again, more times than you can imagine.” His voice is softer now, and there’s something almost slack in his eyes. “I’ll try to help you, whenever I can, but I have no way of knowing when the next time I see you will even be. Or when the next opportunity to help you will arrive.” He drags his eyes back down to Amane, and his words drip with ice. “You think this plan is cruel. Very well. It is. But there’s no other way to fight this kind of enemy.” 

And then, back to you. He tries to smile again, but it doesn’t- it doesn’t look right. “You were right, brother. Our God is unbelievably cruel and endlessly unfair, and He has been since the very beginning.”

You hear it, then. Something in his voice, the way he says that, that sounds familiar. Young and small and... helpless. And despite your anger and distrust and the question still floating around you over whether you even believe him, you step towards him, one of your hands starting to reach.

His eyes flicker. He takes a step back, and starts to turn away.

“My apologies. I know this is must all be quite a shock.” You stop moving any closer, but not because you’re upset with him. Well, you  _ are _ , but not for this. He raises a hand in a wave. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure I’m easy to find tomorrow. Take your time, and if you have any more questions, I’ll be there to answer them.”

“You can’t just-” Amane starts, but you put a hand on her shoulder this time.

“It’s fine,” you say, “He’s right. This is... a lot. I need to think about it first.” Her eyes widen a little, and you can feel her disbelief and disapproval. You look at him, straight. “Do you promise that you’ll be around tomorrow? You’re not just gonna jump in at the last minute, with zero warning?”

He laughs a little, but not- not in a mocking way. It sounds almost soft. Fond. You hate that you have to doubt it. “Fair enough. Yes, I promise.”

That’ll have to be good enough.

 

* * *

You all consider going back to Kaido’s apartment, or the rooftop you spent last night, but none of you are really all that eager to head for either place. The idea of interacting with Gin right now, however contritious he might be, sets your nerves on fire. And Amane’s not fond of the idea that you spend the night somewhere that’d make it even easier for Kazuya or his friend to potentially keep tabs on you.

The park seems like your best bet, after all. And if you’re honest... you’re wondering how people are holding up in there. You’ve been trying to avoid the crowds as much as possible, but as the numbers over everyone’s heads get smaller and smaller, you find you can’t ignore them as well as you’d like.

For a while, no one talks about Kazuya. You think they’re all trying to process what was said; you hope that’s what it is, because the only other reason you could think of is just that they’re too freaked out to speak to you. Even Loki can't manage to crack a joke about it directly. Somehow the story is both too absurd and too sensitive for him to find any real humor in. But when you’re a few blocks away from your destination, Amane slows down and pulls you aside to ask, “Naoya, all those things your cousin said... do you believe any of it?”

“I...” you start, and then realize you still have no idea how to finish. It’d definitely make your life easier if you could just deny it all. Then you could just go along with 10Bit’s plan, send all the demons back to where they came from, ignore the angels, and not have to worry about anything else.

But... can you really brush it off that easily?

As certain as he sounded of what ‘you’ve’ been through, you can’t remember anything like that. Not even a flicker. Sure, it’s easy enough to picture the scenario he painted for you. Being too scared, too worn down, to have ever approached Amane or ever accepted Loki’s interest. Not being able to trust anyone. Living and dying alone. It’s a fear so familiar, you can almost see it in front of you.

It’s not a memory, though. And it’s something he would have known about you anyway. Because you  _ did _ trust him. There were things you told him growing up, things you felt that you’d never have been able to tell anyone else. He could just be playing off old fears of your’s to get you to go along with his plan.

But then  _ why _ ? If he’s just lying to your face, what’s the point? What does  _ he  _ get out of any of this? No matter how you think of it, nothing comes to mind. Unless there’s something you don’t know, but...

...you don’t remember anything he’s talked about. But you do remember something. When you were a kid, and he’d only just started living with you recently. That small, lonely look, when he offered to leave you alone if you really wanted him to. And how similar it was to the way he’d looked at you tonight. It could all just be an act, just like it could have been back then, but. _But_.  


“I think... he believes he’s telling the truth,” you finally say, “Anything beyond that, I’d need to know more.” You roll your eyes and sigh. “Trust me, I already know now to just take everything he says at face value.”

She relaxes somewhat at that, which if you’re honest, makes you bristle a bit. Does she really think you’re that easy to convince? Sure, it’s Kazuya, but... “Do you want to try speaking with Remiel about it tomorrow, then?” She asks, and you set aside the irritation for later, “Perhaps between the two of them we’ll get something closer to the truth.”

You nod. “Yeah, I think we have to.”

“Heeey,” Loki calls over to the two of you, “Are you guys gonna make us wait all night? All the good spots on the ground are gonna be taken at this rate.”

You snort a little despite yourself, and you and Amane catch back up to him. There’s something else, that you can’t admit to Amane. With time to think about it, some of what Kazuya’s said was almost a relief. That there could be a real reason you’re... like this. That there might be someone else you can actually blame for it. Obviously you can’t tell her this, though, because she’ll just tell you what you already know. If you really want someone to blame that badly, maybe you can’t be trusted to make the right decision.


	37. Day 5 - Interlude

You’re only a few blocks away from Atsuro’s apartment when you hear the footsteps, and feel the shift in the air, and curse yourself for not noticing sooner. You were just... distracted. Trying to figure out of you’d explained everything right. You already failed at being perfectly impassive like you intended. It was so frustrating; after all these years, your self-control should be flawless. And this is all about him, not you. You shouldn’t have let anything personal seep out like that.

Fortunately, though, you recognize this presence. Any other angel you would have to lead on a wild goose chase and fight off. The last thing you want is for them to get near Atsuro. But you did work with the Shomonkai for months, after all. The sound of Yuzu’s footsteps are well-committed to your endless memory, and the haze of power around her can have only one source.

“So, what is it?” You turn, not surprised by the light in her eyes or the way her hair and sleeves seem to float around her. “Come to try and steal me away in the night?”

Remiel shakes Yuzu’s head. “Do not fear, beloved Abel. I have no intention of interfering at this time. I believe Cain may only choose the correct path properly if he sees his options, and understands their ramifications.”

You relax a little, despite yourself. Angels don’t lie, and Remiel’s statement was straight-forward enough. Still, to be sure, you ask, “And no plans to alert the others?”

He blinks in a way that feels more like a shrug. “We are all aware of your presence here. I will not hinder them - we all follow Our Father the way we deem best - but I chose mine when I allied with Yuzu Tanikawa. And I do not wish to upset her now.” He looks at you, shining through her eyes, colored by the reddening moon. “She still hopes to help you. Despite everything.”

For a moment, something twinges at his words... then stills just as quickly. What right do you have to feel guilty for your actions? You feel no regret. If necessary, you’d do it all over again. Guilt without regret is simply self-indulgence, and you won’t waste time on it.

When you don’t rise to the bait, Remiel sighs. It’s a familiar sound. So is the sad, mournful tone in his voice when he asks, “Is there truly no chance you will return to us now, before it is too late?”

You turn to him more fully, straighten, and say, “I can’t imagine anything I’ve done recently would indicate I’ve changed my mind on that.”

As if you said nothing, he continues to plead. “Dearest child, most beloved, your actions are futile. Surely you must see that now.” Remiel steps closer to you, holding Yuzu’s arms outstretched in offering. “Humanity has not changed since its inception. All around you, it is falling to desperation and a need for power. They will destroy themselves without someone to lead them to the correct path.

“Can’t you see, Abel?” he asks, before you can even open your mouth to retort, “All you’ve succeeded at doing is making yourself and those you love miserable. Cain is more lost than he has ever been. Your relentless games threaten to ruin him once and for all, even with how far he’s come. Those who trust you will destroy themselves in their pointless efforts to help you. And even you - you are not happy either.” He stares unblinking, as if to drown you in all the pity his eyes hold. “You are alone, isolated from the One who loves you most. Who loves you now, still, despite everything. Who will forgive you, if you only ask.”

They’re old words. Old arguments. When you were younger, you would hear the sorrowful tone and mistake it for sympathy. You would try to argue, certain that if you simply used the right words, found the right line of logic, then that sympathy would allow him to understand you. Maybe even convince him to help you.

But these days, you have only one response left for him.

“If I joined you now,” you say, voice soft, and perhaps easy to mistake for hesitant, “Would Cain’s curse be lifted?”

Finally, Remiel blinks, slowly, and lowers the arms. “When Cain joins us, naturally his curse will be lifted. He will have proven himself rehabilitated.”

“No, not if Naoya picks your side. Not if I even try to convince him. Right now.” You hear the hard edge seeping into your words, the anger that you cannot keep buried on this subject. You take a moment to swallow it back down. “If I agree, bow my head and come back, will his punishment end?”

“His salvation and your’s are separate issues,” Remiel says, patiently, like talking to a child, “You can only ask forgiveness for yourself. As he can only ask for himself.”

“So, no. No, you won’t.” And you laugh, because even after all this time, it’s still funny. That they  _ still  _ don’t understand. None of them do. Even after all this time, no matter how much they speak of love or forgiveness, of you simply making yourself miserable, it all comes back to this. They will not do the one thing you’ve ever asked of them.

Remiel watches you for a long second. “Abel,” he says, “What loving parent would allow their child to toy with fire? When a child persists in endangering themselves, it is a parent’s responsibility to discipline them, and commit to that discipline. Not give in to their every short-sighted wish.”

“That’s funny,” you say, giggles tapering off, “Where was that concern for my safety when I was bleeding out in the dirt?”

“It was not God who killed you. He gave you life again, endless life.” A small twitch, a clenching of the jaw. “Which you would use to throw yourself back at the mercy of the one actually responsible for your murder.”

Oh, you have arguments for that one. That God could have saved you with his proclaimed omnipotence. That His choice to revive you makes the murder a moot point. That being killed by Cain once does not justify thousands of years of torture as punishment. You bite them all back, frustrated by how easily they welled up in the first place. Even after all this time, even knowing it’s useless, there’s still the urge to try. To convince. But in the end, Remiel’s metaphor says everything you need to know. To the God you worshiped above everything, the God in whose name you died, you are nothing more than a child. You don’t understand what you’re talking about. You can’t. The only correct thing for you to do is to acknowledge that, follow obediently, and simply trust in God’s plan. To the detriment of your brother. Always.

So instead, you simply shake your head. 

“Remiel,” you say, “This is not something I decided to do half-heartedly. You can understand that much, at least.”

That, you can see, does get through to him. He drops Yuzu’s eyes, letting out a long, rattling sigh. “Yes, I do. Still, for your sake, and for her’s, I could not go on without at least trying to convince you, one more time.”

It’s the reluctance easing through his stance, the soft way he speaks, that always tricked you. If you see your weaknesses in humans, you see it even more in angels. Hopeless, blindly devoted little fools. But you  _ did  _ learn, at least enough to get away. Is convincing one of them - one who may even actually care as much as he claims - really that impossible? 

“Yes,” you say to yourself, as Remiel fades into the shadows and out of sight. Or it may as well be. Just caring isn’t enough. If he won’t listen to you by now, then it’s too late to do anything about it. There’s nothing you can do to convince Remiel of what you' already know - that a God who demands you love Him at the expense of your brother is not a God you can love at all.


End file.
